Sonu Sood`s grimacing villainy in ‘Dabangg’ has got him the kind of recognition no amount of goody, goody roles ever did in nine years. Just when he was all set to unleash an avalanche of evil on screen by signing on plum villain`s roles, he was asked to keep baddy roles on hold until `Dabangg 2`.

"It`s true I have been told not to expend my mean muscles until `Dabangg 2`. Interestingly, I`ve signed two major cop roles. One is a dream-come-true role in Puri Jaganaath`s `Boodha` where I play (Amitanh) Bachchan`s son. My role is modelled on Amitji in `Zanjeer`," said Sonu, 37, who entered Bollywood in 2002 with ‘Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh’.

Sonu has watched ‘Zanjeer’ 17 times in the last six months.

To his command over the Bachchanesque style of law enforcement in "Zanjeer", including that famous body-flying-across-the-air for a full impact hurl against the adversary that had the crowds roaring when Big B did it in 1973, Sonu will add the inner knowledge of a cop`s world.

For that intense preparations are on. Sonu, who is from Punjab, recently spent a fortnight with a senior police officer in Punjab to understand the mind, body language and spoken language of a cop.

"I`ve spent time with DGP (Director General of Police) P.S. Gill. He has helped me understand how a cop functions," said Sonu.

The law enforcement skills would help Sonu with his other role this year as well.

"I again a play cop in Kabir Kaushik`s underworld drama Maximum. I had no intentions of doing any other film except `Boodha` this year. And that too another role as a cop! When I read the script of `Maximum`, I was bowled over. I will play this cop very differently from the one in `Boodha`," the actor said.

The two films will take Sonu Sood to the end of this year.

"And then it`s back to villainy in `Dabangg 2`. Badman Returns," laughed Sonu, who played important role in "Jodhaa-Akbar" and main lead in "Ek Vivaah... Aisa Bhi".