https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

An Actor by Passion, An IPS Officer by Profession

IPS officer Simala Prasad is not only a diligent officer but also a talented actor. She has been passionate about acting and dancing since her school days.. She has starred in two movies till now and will soon star in the third one.
Indian Masterminds Stories

It is always interesting to see civil servants pursuing their passions and honing their creative talents, alongside their official duties. IPS officer Simala Prasad is one such bureaucrat who is not just a diligent police officer but also a talented Bollywood actor who has proved her mettle through two films so far.

Indian Masterminds spoke to Ms. Prasad, who is Superintendent of Police in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, to understand her foray into cinema. 

A THEATER FANATIC SINCE CHILDHOOD

An art and theatre fanatic since childhood, Ms. Prasad never missed an opportunity to go on stage and showcase her talents in front of an audience. Due to her father being an IAS officer, she had to switch schools a lot, during her early years, owing to her father’s frequent transfers. 

But one thing that she never let go of was her passion for dancing and acting. She grabbed every opportunity that came her way, to dance and act on stage. She even joined theatre school to sharpen her skills.

“I liked participating in extracurricular activities and took part in all the annual functions held by my schools. I loved being on stage and my love for dance and acting grew gradually,” shared Ms. Prasad.

THE SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

The officer gained immense inspiration from her mother, Mrs Mehrunnisa Parvez, who is a popular Indian writer of Hindi Literature and has been honoured with the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2005, for her contributions to Indian literature by the Government of India.

“Writing and theatre go hand in hand. I attended numerous theatre performances in Bhopal and Delhi with my mother when I was young. She had a lot of friends who hailed from both fields. I enjoyed the company of these theatre artists and adored the way they worked, which ultimately increased my passion for art,” she shared with Indian Masterminds.

HER FIRST BREAK

It was through her mother that Ms. Prasad met the director of her first film, Mr. Zaigham Imam, who is also a writer in the film industry. He told her about the requirement for an actor in a film that he was working on.

“He told me about the role and asked me to give it a try. I agreed to do it since I love acting. It was an amazing experience for me. Of course, one has to accommodate a lot of things while acting in front of the camera, being an officer, but overall, the process was amazing and I loved every bit of it,” she shared.

As soon as the director narrated the script of his film Alif to her, Ms. Prasad loved the concept and said yes to the movie. Her character in the film is that of the sister of a child who studies in a madrassa and wants to become a doctor. When the child is sent to school, the fundamentalists oppose it, which also affects her character’s life.

The film had its world premiere at the Indian International Film Festival of Queensland in Australia in 2017. Along with this, the film has also won the Best Screen Play and Best Child Artist awards at the Bioscope Global Film Festival. You can watch the film on Disney+ Hotstar.

After her debut film, Ms. Prasad also starred in the 2019 film Nakkash, which is the story of a gifted craftsman who believes in no religious boundaries and his talent becomes a symbol of accord in all the communities. The film was praised by one and all and is available to watch on Amazon Prime’s Lionsgate subscription.

TIME MANAGEMENT

It is not easy for civil servants to take out time from their hectic schedules to pursue their passion. But where there is a will, there is a way. When you really love doing something, you take out time for it somehow. Even though Ms. Prasad is unable to indulge in promotional and acting events which usually help in improving an actor’s skills, she hones up her skills by watching top-notch actors perform and observing their work.

Her director, understanding her hectic schedule and tough job profile, also manages to work in a way that benefits both – the officer’s timings and the schedule of the film.

“He scheduled it in a way that I just had to be on the set for 10 days during the shoot of Alif and it was just a 3-days schedule for Nakkash. It wasn’t a long break from my job, so I was able to do it freely. Otherwise, if he needed additional shots, he shared a few references that I had to follow and movies which I had to watch, after which I shot my scenes on my mobile phone when I had time in hand, and mailed it to him. It’s a kind of long-distance shooting,” she told Indian Masterminds.

FUTURE PROJECTS

Ms. Prasad was almost about to star in her third movie in 2021, but unfortunately, she couldn’t take out time for shooting as the elections were scheduled during that time and since duty comes first, she didn’t take leave from her job for her acting commitments.

However, we might soon see her acting skills once again as she has another movie in her bag, the shooting of which might begin by the end of this year or early next year.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Bipul-Pathak-IAS-JK
IAS Bipul Pathak Appointed Principal Secretary (Home) of Delhi in Strategic Bureaucratic Reshuffle
bihar-cm-solar
Bihar Moves Towards Energy Self-Sufficiency: Solar Power Emerges as a Game-Changer Under Nitish Kumar
bihar cabinet
69,000 Government Jobs and ₹2 Lakh for Women Entrepreneurs: Bihar’s Mega Employment Push
IAS Ayushi KBC
Who Is IAS Ayushi? The Visually Impaired Officer Whose Inspiring Journey Moved Amitabh Bachchan on KBC 17
India Post BSNL MoU
Department of Posts and BSNL Join Hands to Expand SIM Sales and Recharge Services Nationwide
Praveen Kumar ALIMCO CMD
Meet Praveen Kumar, Youngest CMD in India’s Public Sector, Driving ALIMCO’s Assistive Devices Mission
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Govt Denies Prosecution Sanction for IAS Officer Jaibir Arya in 2023 Corruption Case Due to Legal Technicality
Shah Faesal tribute to PM Modi
PM Modi’s 75th Birthday: IAS Officer Shah Faesal Credits Him for Restoring His Dignity, Calls Him a ‘Priest-King’ of Forgiveness
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr. S.K
Technology Meets Ecology: IFS Dr S K Srivastava’s Game-Changing Innovations in Forest Management | Eco Warrior Awards 2025 Interview
IFS Uttam Kumar Sharma Interview
From Extinction to Exhilaration: The Untold Story and Future Vision of Project Cheetah | Led by IFS Uttam Kumar Sharma | Eco Warrior Awards 2025
K M Abharna IFS Eco Warrior Awards 2025
Meet K. M. Abharna, the IFS Officer Behind Avni’s Case and Vidya Balan’s Sherni Role
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Ishwarlal Gurjar UPSC
10th Grade Failure to Indian Police Service: Ishwarlal Gurjar’s UPSC Success Path
Read the inspiring journey of Ishwarlal Gurjar from a small village in Rajasthan to becoming an IPS officer....
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
Social Media
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
Tamil Nadu Gaur Rescue
Tiruchirappalli Forest Officials Risk Lives to Rescue Juvenile Gaur; Video Shared by IAS Officer Goes Viral
Trichy forest and fire teams risk lives to rescue a juvenile Indian gaur; IAS officer Supriya Sahu shares...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Bipul-Pathak-IAS-JK
IAS Bipul Pathak Appointed Principal Secretary (Home) of Delhi in Strategic Bureaucratic Reshuffle
bihar-cm-solar
Bihar Moves Towards Energy Self-Sufficiency: Solar Power Emerges as a Game-Changer Under Nitish Kumar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr. S.K
IFS Uttam Kumar Sharma Interview
K M Abharna IFS Eco Warrior Awards 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT