The lioness comes back. Yash Raj Films’ Mardaani 3 reanimates the fearless Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukerji), in a chapter that is darker, more blood-stained and more shivering than any previous one. This third film directed by Abhiraj Minawala takes it one step further than the latest crime thriller. Its content also goes right past mere action thriller, into a real-life grimy nightmare of the darkest of places.
The Plot: A Race Against Time
Currently working with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Shivani Shivaji Roy has taken up a very critical case on the disappearance of over 90 young women. The inquiry brings her to the very heart of rural India, the clutches of a vicious beggar-mafia queen named Amma (Mallika Prasad). Unlike the youthful, psychopathic antagonists of the latter two films, Amma is a cold-blooded, calculating, psychological predator who constructs a child-trafficking empire with ruthless competence. The stakes are personal and national as Shivani scrambles to free an kidnapped daughter of an Ambassador while weaving through a complex system of corruption.
Performances: Rani Mukerji’s Masterclass
Rani Mukerji breaks out 30 years of success as an actress on this film, and the movie is the best performance of her career. She comes with a dogged, tired determination in Shivani. There’s no “heroic” slow-motion entries here — just a woman who is tired of the cruelty in the world but won’t accept it anymore.
Mallika Prasad as 'Amma' is a revelation. She brings a hush, even more unsettling menace to the screen that reads less like “thriller” and more “horror.” Her self-control and psychological dominance over her victims is some of the most terrifying of terror in a franchise's history.
Direction and Pacing
The First half: Tight, crisp, and pacy. It is building up to become a mystery with painstaking accuracy, forcing us to physically feel the terrible claustrophobia of the underground. By the time this final act has occurred to the second part, the film is now a "chilling horror chapter." Its violence is raw and concrete and focuses on the effect of crime psychologically rather than physically.
The Climax: Emotional, heavy, and hard. It keeps to the Mardaani approach to delivering a social punch that causes a sort of numbness in viewers.
The Verdict
Mardaani 3 is not an easy watch. It tackles child trafficking and sexual violence with unapologetic gaze. It's a "paisa vasool" crime show, on one hand, and it's a society mirror made you squirm too.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 Stars)
"Mardaani 3 is a gritty and realistic portrayal of the real life of a cop drama. It is an all-consuming, brutal experience which goes a long way demonstrating what is going on now. That is why Rani Mukerji is the soul of this franchise."
