Pankaj Kapur has proved his mettle as an actor in a variety of roles time and again by delivering powerful performances, the latest being in 'Maqbool', for which he won the 2005 Best Actor Critics Filmfare Award.

The versatile actor, after a long hiatus, was once again recently seen in Vashu Bhagnani's 'Dus' playing the role of an international terrorist.

On the eve of his next release 'Sehar', to be released on July 29, Kapur told, ''the film is a story about an encounter of a daring police officer with hardcore criminals. For nabbing criminals, especially Sriprakash Shukla, the officer constitutes a Special Task Force. I am playing the role of an IT professor, Narain Dutt Tiwari, who is brought in to assist the police.''

On his long absence from Bollywood, he said, ''there was no particular reason for this absence but I must say that meaningful roles were not coming my way, and moreover filmmakers were not offering me something concrete which interested me.''

Asked if the film and his character are based on a real life story, he said,'' No, this character in the film is completely imaginary but at the end of the story he also becomes a part of the Special Task Force. I am thankful to the writer who scripted the role and it was I who benefitted.'' ''Sehar'' in Urdu means the morning. The film has been scripted and directed by Kabeer Kaushik and produced by Ashvin J Patel. The music has been rendered by Daniel B George.

Inspired by real life incidents, it delineates the journey of a newly appointed 31-year old SSP of Lucknow Ajay Kumar (Arshad Warsi), instrumental in bringing together a group of committed police officers as a Special Task Force.

The Force, formed with the sole agenda of challenging the might of organised crime in Uttar Pradesh, carries it out successfully. In the process, what unfolds is the ever-changing dynamics of the state's ''siyaasat'': railway contracts, ISI involvement, politician-Mafia-police-builder nexus, pro-activism of criminal gangs, sophisticated yet rigid red tape and criminalisation of University students.

The film also stars Arshad Warsi, Mahima Chaudhary, Sushant Singh, Suhasini Mulay, Pratima Kazmi and Ravi Jhankal.