Prithviraj Sukumaran on the groundbreaking twist of - Mumbai police, says “truly against the grain”

Viewers of the Malayalam film Mumbai Police will recall the shocking twist at the end—in which Prithviraj Sukumaran’s character was revealed to be a closeted gay man struggling with his own identity in a homophobic world.

Many viewers had applauded the film for giving a bold twist to the established view of macho men in society and it gained positive attention for the narrative, the film, and the actor’s courageous portrayal.

Navigating the creative roadblocks

While discussing his process during a recent conversation with YouTuber Nayandeep Rakshit, Prithviraj highlighted how the making of Mumbai Police had come to a surprise juncture. He recollected that while working on the screenplay, the team - with director, writers, and Pirhviraj himself - was stuck at a creative stumbling block mid-way through the screenplay.

It was during this period of uncertainty that instinct took over, guiding Prithviraj’s decision to pursue the role.

“I just follow my instinct. If something appeals to me, I pursue it,” he said, adding that the film’s portrayal of queerness was “truly against the grain.”

A Late-Night Call That Changed Everything

Recalling a turning point in the film’s development, Prithviraj shared how director Rosshan Andrrews reached out to him late one night with a compelling proposition.

“He reminded me of something I’d said long ago—that I’d do anything for cinema,” Prithviraj noted. When asked if he still stood by that statement, he instantly affirmed. What followed was a meeting where the director and writers revealed the film’s dramatic twist.

“I was genuinely shocked. I thought, if I’m reacting this strongly, and the audience does too, then the film will work,” he said.

Defying norms with a bold character sketch

Prithviraj spoke openly about the risks he took with Mumbai Police, emphasizing the character’s unconventional representation.

The real challenge, he noted, wasn’t just playing a gay man as a mainstream lead—it was how that identity was portrayed. Instead of adhering to common cinematic tropes, the role depicted a strong, aggressive, alpha male cop whose sexual orientation was incidental, not defining. “That was truly against the grain,” Prithviraj said, adding, “I thought that would be a path-breaking film — and it was.

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Passing on Bombay Talkies: A creative decision

During the same interview, Prithviraj revealed that he had declined the chance to appear in Karan Johar’s segment of the 2013 anthology Bombay Talkies.

The actor explained that although he was interested, two key factors influenced his decision: scheduling conflicts and his recent portrayal of a gay character in Mumbai Police. “I didn’t want to do similar characters in two back-to-back projects,” he said, adding that the script was exceptional and Randeep Hooda’s performance stood out.

Despite missing the opportunity, Prithviraj expressed his hope to collaborate with Johar as a director in the future.

New ventures and a disappointing remake

Prithiviraj is now preparing for the release of Sarzameen, which features Kajol and Ibrahim Ali Khan in the main roles. For Ibrahim it will be his second trial on the main stage after his first film, Nadaaniyan, had a lackluster response. Separate from all of this, Bollywood's (or someone in Bollywood) attempt to adapt Mumbai Police to a wider audience resulted in the Hindi language remake, Deva, starring Shahid Kapoor at the top.

Despite the star power, I think the remake did not even come close to the narrative depth of the original and it also tanked at the box office.