Mardaani 3 Review

Mardaani is a true-blood franchise that has stuck to a familiar terrain - child trafficking, a similar setup, an honest supercop in SSP Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukerji), and one sharp, intimidating villain (a new actor each time) who nearly outshines the cop until the final moments. Mardaani 3 breaks this pattern with two villains who never quite overshadow Shivani, and the film itself falls short of its predecessors. That said, it remains entertaining, and has a refreshing and innovative treatment.

SSP Shivani Shivaji Rao (Rani Mukerji) probes the disappearance of two young girls in Delhi, only to uncover a nationwide kidnapping racket involving 93 children, run by a begging mafia led by Amma (Malika Prasad). As Shivani digs deeper, she realises the girls are being used for something far more dangerous than begging. A tense face-off between cop and kingpin then ensues.

Story-wise, Mardaani 3 feels like an extension of Mardaani, the first movie. This, too, is a case of girl child trafficking. That said, it has nothing new to offer. If you've watched Mardaani and Mardaani 2, you're already familiar with the pattern and with Shivani Shivaji Rao's no-nonsense, badass approach to tackling misogyny and cracking cases. So, execution is the only factor that could make or break the film.

Once again, the antagonists are misogynists, and the victims, as always, are girls. However, the primary antagonist this time is a woman - Amma. There is also a second villain, her male protégé Ramanujan (Prajesh Kashyap), whose presence weakens the overall villain arc and muddles the narrative. Had the makers stuck to the classic "one cop - one kingpin" template, the movie might have worked far better.

The film also dilutes the tense hero-villain dynamic, seen in the earlier installments, by revealing almost the entire plot before the interval. As a result, the second half merely moves towards predictable cinematic justice - busting the racket, rescuing the victims, and punishing the now-known mastermind, or rather, masterminds.

The only takeaway here is the characterisation of Amma. You get a clear glimpse into the mind of a cold-blooded, determined villain. Amma is portrayed with such assertiveness and menace - through her voice and gestures - that you constantly want to see more of her. However, once her protégé Ramanujan is introduced, the narrative begins to lose its grip.

While Amma feels like an organically written hinterland psychopath, Ramanujan comes across as artificial and uneven. The transition in his personality, attitude and temper from childhood to adulthood feels unconvincing and hard to digest. What's worse, he doesn't look villainous enough, and feels like an unlikely fit for the franchise. What goes wrong is hard to put a finger on, but somehow the villain arc in the movie feels vague, even though there are two of them here.

Despite having a strong lead, a compelling central character and an established blueprint, Mardaani 3 transitions from decent to flat. The narrative unfolds in a strictly linear fashion. The franchise's signature elements - psychological warfare and verbal sparring between Shivani and the antagonist - are largely absent. As mentioned earlier, you already know what awaits you in the climax, and until then, the movie settles into a routine cat-and-mouse chase across Delhi. Several twists are introduced, starting off as promising ideas but soon descending into full-blown Abbas-Mustan territory.

So, there you go - the new equation in the story doesn't quite work. However, given the story at hand, the makers have executed it well. You may question why they did what they did, but not how they did it. Even though there is a lack of sustained tension and epic face-offs, the film doesn't bore you - provided you are not a hardcore movie buff. The film moves at breakneck speed and never sidesteps. It also takes a frugal approach to action - there's no extravaganza. Everything is calculated and necessary, and the action never overrides the not-so-great story. In short, every sequence is picture-perfect.

Like the previous installments, this movie too rides on Rani Mukerji's shoulders. Even after 12 years, SSP Shivani Shivaji Roy has not lost her spirit or attitude. From her powerful introduction to the final blast, she owns the screen, and is terrific and believable in every scene. Next to Rani, Malika Prasad delivers a wonderful performance as the arch-villain. Many of you may not know her, and even if you do, it is hard to believe the transformation she pulls off here. Her voice, demeanour, gait - everything is striking and impactful.

Technically, like in most Yash Raj Films productions, there is little to fault. Cinematically, every frame brims with craftsmanship. The screenplay and dialogues are sharp, and the background score evokes the best you have heard, making excellent use of sound and silence. Thankfully, the movie has no songs or dance numbers. There is also minimal choreographed action - the fights feel raw, spontaneous and grounded.

Mardaani 3 is not a bad film, and it is not boring either - but it is not particularly significant. It lacks the novelty of the original and the tension of the second installment, yet remains watchable largely because of Amma and the SSP.