Ram Gopal Varma is on a remake spree and the first one out of his stable is "Shiva", an action-packed cop drama starring Mohit Ahlawat in the role made famous by Nagarjuna.

Releasing Friday, "Shiva" is a remake of Varma's directorial debut of the same name that dealt with violence in the college campus. However, Varma -- who is also doing an urban take on "Sholay" and wants to reinvent the 1980s action genre -- has made certain changes in the story line to make it more contemporary.

The police department forms the focal point of the new "Shiva", which looks into a law keeping system through the eyes of Mohit Ahlawat. After finishing training in a police academy he joins Mumbai Police only to find that his ideals clash with the harsh reality of the corrupt police force at work.

Nisha Kothari, who was seen with Mohit in "James", plays a journalist and the protagonist's love interest.

After making a deadly impact as a don in "James", Shereveer Vakil returns to challenge Shiva's idealism with his evil deeds.

People have great hopes from the police and the judiciary, meant to serve the people, but do they really live up to expectations of the society? - that is what the film is about.

"Shiva" promises to bring back the 1980s intense hero, mostly played by Amitabh Bachchan, relegated to the background by romantic heroes.

Action thrillers are Varma's forte. Going by his past records, the filmmaker may succeed in his attempt to reinvent the genre.

According to Varma, he is seeking to capture the element of anger present in everybody with a completely updated script and today's technical advances.