This is a cop that leads the charge and proves that women officers aren’t supporting characters any more — they’re the ones leading the chase, cracking the cases, and rewriting the rules of crime storytelling.
Shefali Shah, Delhi Crime (2019, 2022, 2025)
Where to watch: Netflix
Shefali is terrific in the show’s three seasons, which has handled heart wrenching crimes of the Nirbhaya case (season 1 was the first Indian show to win an International Emmy), the Chaddi Baniyan Gang and the Baby Falak case.
Raveena Tandon, Aranyak (2021)
Where to watch: Netflix
In her OTT debut Aranyak, Raveena steps into the role of Kasturi Dogra, a tough hill-town cop chasing a bizarre murder case through the foggy forests of the fictional town of Sironha.
Sonakshi Sinha, Dahaad (2023)
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
In Dahaad, Sonakshi plays Anjali Bhaati, a cop on the trail of missing women in rural Rajasthan.
The performance won Sonakshi a big thumbs up as she matched Vijay Varma’s sublime act.
Aaditi Pohankar, She (2020)
Where to watch: Netflix
Aaditi balances her low-ranked constable job with an undercover narcotics mission. The actor trained with Mumbai police personnel to capture their body language for this series created by Imtiaz Ali.
Konkona Sen Sharma, Search: The Naina Murder Case (2025)
Where to watch: JioHotstar
As Sanyukta Das, Konkona carries her personal turmoil with her cop job, calling her role ‘deeply relatable for working women’.
Directed by Rohan Sippy, the show is a slow burn mystery that begins on an ordinary morning and ends with a political storm.
Zoya Hussain, Grahan (2021)
Where to watch: JioHotstar
As Amrita Singh, Zoya unpacks a case rooted in the 1984 riots, only to find that parts of the story brush dangerously close to her personal life.
Adapted from Satya Vyas’s novel Chaurasi, the series shows how an investigator can be shaken by the past even while serving in the present.
Shriya Pilgaonkar, Chhal Kapat (2025)
Where to watch: Z5
Shriya steps into Devika Rathore’s uniform with a quiet confidence that comes from real police-protocol training she undertook before filming. The story plays out like a classic whodunnit, where every suspect has a secret, and every clue hides another question. Richa Chadha, The Great Indian Murder (2022)
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Richa Chadha’s Sudha Bharadwaj isn’t a flashy cop. What makes her interesting is that Tigmanshu Dhulia built the character to be deliberately understated, mirroring how real senior officers conduct high pressure cases without theatrics.
The series comes from Vikas Swarup’s novel Six Suspects.
Regina Cassandra, Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke (2023)
Where to watch: Z5
Regina plays Kavya Iyer with a restrained confidence and grounded in real-world policing, thanks to the tactical training and consultations the production undertook with ex-officers. The show’s investigation mirrors the high pressure environment of national security cases, where every misstep has consequences.
Shilpa Shetty, Indian Police Force (2024)
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Shilpa’s entry into the Rohit Shetty Cop Universe feels like a milestone. She was the franchise’s first woman officer, before Deepika Padukone took it a notch higher with Lady Singham, and does it in a role that swaps glamour for grit.
Lara Dutta, Hundred (2020)
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Lara Dutta’s turn as Saumya Shukla in Hundred is a refreshing departure from the typical hard-edged cop portrayals. She’s sharp, yes, but also aware of the promotional dead-ends in her department. The creators shaped her arc as a playful commentary on how talented officers get buried under paperwork and politics.
Sanya Malhotra, Kathal (2023)
Where to watch: Netflix
Kathal turns a bizarre jackfruit theft into a sharp look at how policing works on ground. Sanya’s Mahima Basor becomes the lens through which that absurdity feels painfully real.
Radhika Apte, Forensic (2022)
Where to watch: Z5
Forensic gives Radhika a police role that’s built as much on emotional weight as on investigative detail. Playing Megha Sharma, she steps into a case where the science of profiling and DNA patterns matters as much as gut instinct.
The Hindi film is adapted from the Malayalam original, but the writers reworked Megha’s character to give her more control over the investigation.
Geetika Vidya Ohlyan and Saloni Batra, Soni (2019)
Where to watch: Netflix
Soni stands apart because it doesn’t treat its police protagonists as action heroes — it watches them survive the city they’re meant to protect.
Geetika Vidya Ohlyan and Saloni Batra perform with a lived-in rawness that comes from workshops conducted with actual Delhi police officers, helping them mirror the quiet exhaustion, casual sexism, and constant unpredictability of night duty.
Director Ivan Ayr shot several sequences in long, uninterrupted takes, making the film feel almost documentary-like.
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