Watch: How an IPS officer brought light to the home of Noorjahan in UP

In Ashutosh Gowariker’s 2004 movie “Swades”, Shah Rukh Khan plays a NASA scientist who, in an iconic scene, gets electricity to a far-off village. An old woman’s face lights up as a bulb flickers in her dilapidated home and she says, “bijlee”, in a poignant and unforgettable scene.

Now almost 20 years later, the scene has come to life in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district when an elderly woman in finally got power in her household.

Anukriti Sharma, an IPS officer and the Additional SP of Bulandshahr, brought light into the life of 70-year-old Noorjahan which she termed as her “Swades” moment. The 2020 batch IPS officer took to social media to share the inspiring story of how the police's efforts brought electricity to Noorjahan's home.

Sharma tweeted, "Getting electricity connection to Noorjahan aunty's house literally felt like bringing light into her life. The smile on her face was immensely satisfying." The accompanying video depicted the elderly woman's radiant smile as power lines were installed in her home.
Noorjahan, a destitute widow living alone, had approached the local police with a simple request for an electricity connection. The police, who regularly organize community gatherings known as "chaupals" to foster closer ties with the public, took immediate action.

After the bulb lit up Noorjahan’s small home, the IPS officer laughed and talked to the woman, before getting a stand fan inside her home. Sharma and her colleagues explained to the woman which switch does what. The woman responds with a gesture of gratitude - a gentle pat on the officer's shoulder. The interaction between the senior police officers and Noorjahan illustrated the joy and camaraderie that came from this act.