Highlights
- A new film is being made about the UK’s first female Asian police officer, killed more than 50 years ago.
- A Winter’s Lion charts the life of PC Karpal Kaur Sandhu, who joined the Met in 1971.
- The production is being filmed in north and east London, with a planned release next year.
A feature film is in production about PC Karpal Kaur Sandhu, the UK’s first female Asian police officer, whose life was cut short after she was murdered by her husband just two years into her policing career.
Titled A Winter’s Lion, the film revisits Sandhu’s journey into the Metropolitan Police and the personal and cultural pressures she faced at a time when women – particularly Asian women – were rarely seen in uniform.
From nursing to the Met
Sandhu joined the Metropolitan Police in 1971 at the age of 27, having previously worked as a nurse. She served at Hornsey and what was then Leyton police station, breaking barriers in an institution that had little representation from women or ethnic minorities at the time.
Born in 1943 to a Sikh family in Zanzibar, she moved to the UK in 1962 and found work at Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield before pursuing her ambition to become a police officer.
A life ended by violence
Sandhu was stabbed to death by her husband in 1973. He had opposed her career, arguing that policing was neither appropriate for an Asian woman nor compatible with expectations placed on her as a wife. He was later sentenced to life imprisonment.
Her death shocked colleagues and campaigners, and over time her story has come to be recognised as both a personal tragedy and a stark example of the challenges faced by pioneering women.
‘A huge responsibility to play a trailblazer’
The role of Sandhu is being played by the film’s producer, Dr Parvinder Shergill, who said she felt she was “meant to play her”, noting that she too is a doctor.
Shergill has worked closely with Sandhu’s family, who shared personal memories during the production. “She was a mother, wife and family woman,” she said. “She was a nurse with a compassionate side and clearly cared about her community.”
Director Dhruv Bhatnagar told BBC Radio London that Sandhu’s story resonated with him personally. “Growing up, I didn’t have many British-Indian role models,” he said. “I can relate to the barriers she faced.”
Filming in London, with Met involvement
Filming is taking place around Hornsey and Leyton and is due to conclude on 1 February – the anniversary of the day Sandhu joined the Met.
The Metropolitan Police has acted as a consultant on the film, despite ongoing scrutiny of the force over claims of systemic racism. Shergill said the intention was not to criticise but to collaborate, highlighting the support of the Metropolitan Police Sikh Association.
A story meant to travel
The cast includes Sherlock actor Amanda Abbington and Bafta Cymru winner Mark Lewis-Jones. Several members of the cast and crew said they were learning about Sandhu’s story for the first time through the project.
Although independently produced, the filmmakers hope the film will reach an international audience. They describe it as both a tribute to Sandhu’s legacy and a message of thanks to women serving in policing today.
