Rani Mukerji's Mardaani 3 Is Rooted In Reality: The Truth About Beggar Mafia

Rani

Mukerji’s Mardaani 3’s chilling trailer showcased crime against children, especially girls. Mallika Prasad Sinha plays the antagonist, Amma, and the franchise lives up to the legacy of diabolical villains who give tough competition to the brave cop, Shivani Shivaji Roy. Mardaani 3, set to release in theatres tomorrow (January 30), is inspired by a real story. Inspired by the horror of the Beggar Mafia, the Abhiraj Minawala directorial draws on various heinous stories from across the globe. Before the release of Mardaani 3, let us understand what the Beggar Mafia is and how they operate in various parts of the globe for over a decade.

What is Beggar Mafia?

Despite stringent laws, the Beggar Mafia is an active criminal activity exploiting children in countries including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In reality, children of all genders are exploited and harassed by perpetrators for financial gains. Kids from the ages of 3 to 4 to 15 are at risk. One of the reasons behind the crime is extreme poverty. Children who are at risk belong to families below the poverty line and lack adequate nutrition, care, and education. The majority are under the age of 14 and rates are fixed per day. According to data available on public domain, the crime saw a spike during the pandemic, because of growing unemployment, immigration from rural areas, acute poverty, etc.

Policies against Beggar Mafia

To eradicate this crime, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) often urges people not to encourage begging children and instead take them to shelter homes where they can receive better treatment and care. To resolve the problem, Child Protection Services (CPS) are largely operating under Mission Vatsalya in India to provide crucial statutory, preventive, and rehabilitative support to children in need of care, protection, or in conflict with the law. CHILDLINE 1098, a 24/7 service, responds within 60 minutes to rescue children in emergencies, including abuse, trafficking, or abandonment.

Why is Mardaani uncomfortable?

In an exclusive interview with Zoom, Rani opened up about Mardaani making the audience uncomfortable. She also revealed that the franchise was conceptualised keeping the 2012 Delhi Murder Case in mind. The actress highlighted the importance of Mardaani 3. She said the audience should now accept the disturbing reality and uncomfortable scenes shown in the film, as it is necessary to understand the gravity of the situation.

Mardaani 3, co-starring Janki Bodiwala, is produced by Yash Raj Films. The film releases in theatres on January 30 with a U/A certificate from the CBFC.