How this Thane DCP juggles her passion for music with her policing duties

DCP (HQ-I) Rupali Ambure, who is known for her policing acumen, started to formally learn singing in 2021, under Pandit Paresh Jana. Pic/Satej Shinde

Kaahey badariya ghir ghir aavey, kahi ja piya se kaho ghar aavey..." The man's soulful voice reverberates in the background as the woman on the screen, dressed elegantly in a white saree, stands at the door, watching her companion leave. As he disappears from sight, she runs back into the house, picks up a small notebook he has forgotten to take with him and runs back to the door, only to stop and slowly realise the futility of her attempt. Overhead, the clouds well up and it starts to pour.

The scene is from Raag Goud Malhar, a docu-drama named after the popular classical tune, and aims to visually represent the emotions that the raag conveys. It is conceptualised by Pandit Paresh Jana, a well-known maestro who is also guru to legendary ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas. Interestingly, the female protagonist in the docu-drama is a serving Deputy Commissioner of Police with the Maharashtra Police force.

Currently posted as DCP (Headquarters-I), Thane Police, Rupali Ambure handles all the administrative responsibilities of the Thane City jurisdiction, including postings, transfers and vetting of applications for various licences. A police officer since 2005, Ambure has served all over Maharashtra and yet, has kept her passion for classical singing alive.

Ambure is the face of Raag Goud Malhar, a docu-drama that aims to visually depict emotions in the popular classical raag

Her day begins at 5 am with riyaaz, as she practices the teachings of her guru for an hour. She has to do this before heading to the gym, as her trainer has warned her that the post-workout state is not ideal for it. After pumping iron for an hour, she gets back home, dons her uniform and heads to her office at the Thane Police Headquarters.

"My father is a trained singer and I fell in love with classical music when little. I trained for a few years, but back then, education was given more importance," says Ambure, who started as a probationary officer with the Amravati Rural police and worked her way up through posts like beat in-charge, police station in-charge and sub divisional police officer in rural commissionerates before shattering a gender stereotype for the first time.

She was the first woman officer to be posted as assistant director outdoors (ADOD) at the Maharashtra Police Academy in Nashik, in charge of overseeing all physical fitness activities of the new recruits. From there, she made her way into city commissionerates.

It was only two years ago that Ambure decided to take up singing again on a regular basis. In 2021, she started formally learning from Pandit Jana and the same year, she put together a small performance at the Kashinath Ghanekar auditorium in Thane for senior citizens. It was well received and offered her confidence to continue her musical journey. Under Pandit Jana's guidance and in collaboration with other artistes in her circle, Ambure now holds regular performances of Hindi as well as Marathi music.

"Besides," she laughs, "I'm the first person they think of when there is any in-house programme or celebration organised through the police force, like the recent Meri Maati Mera Desh event we had in the run up to this year's Independence Day."

It's also a brilliant opportunity to stay in touch with the people in her jurisdiction, she tells us, smiling.

Raag Goud Malhar was Pandit Jana's brainchild, who had for long wanted to depict a musical raag in a visual manner. He expressed the idea to Ambure, who loved it. But she was not prepared for what came next - he wanted her to act in it. "It was something I'd never done before. Forget that, it was something I knew nothing about. But Panditji told me to just emote all the feelings that the raag gave rise to in my mind," Ambure tells us about the docu-drama, which was launched by Udhas in May this year. While currently available on social media, Pandit Jana and Ambure are working on releasing it on a streaming platform soon.

The officer is also planning a new series of "baithaks" - small gatherings of ghazal artistes - on the 11th of every month, before a select audience of 20 to 25. "The idea is to bring those with a passion for it under the same roof so that we all may enjoy it," she says.

Ask her how she manages to juggle her music, her passion for fitness that is an inspiration for many, and her policing duties, and she puts it down to making every second count. "Besides," she says, "if your soul is connected to something, it comes naturally."