Mardaani 3 Review: Rani Mukerji is back as Shivani Shivaji Roy, the fierce SSP, and this time she fights the beggar mafia, Amma. Amma, the deadly lady, has been involved in child trafficking and supplying
kids to beggars on the street, but this time, she has a different motive, and for that, she is getting girls aged 8–10 abducted. Now, Rani’s Shivani must find Amma’s motive and save about 60 girls from her.
Plot
Mardaani 3 is divided into two distinctive halves. While the first one has Rani trying to locate two abducted girls, one of whom is the daughter of a VVIP, the second half leads to a deeper conspiracy and a nationwide, spread-out web involved in a rather dangerous network of using girl children who haven’t reached puberty age as human rats.
Review
Just like the rest of the two parts of the franchise, Mardaani 3 also brings a hard-hitting, rooted story. While in comparison to the last film in the franchise, this one is more palatable, the film delivers a very strong message, and Rani as fierce Shivani is a delight to watch.
While watching the film, there are instances where the audience’s shock value has been used to create impact in the story, and the biggest twist comes right when you aren’t prepared for it. Exactly at the time when you feel that things are getting better, is when you get slapped by the biggest shocker.
Mardaani 3 not only deals with mafias committing crimes but also speaks volumes about how the nicest-looking person can also be the most horrible human being. Well, that said, this film has Rani yet again standing as a rock in the face of crimes against women.
Performances
Rani Mukerji is fighting for every woman out there who couldn’t scream. Speaking of the actress’ performance, it’s raw, intense, and, like always, super convincing. While Rani as Shivani Shivaji Roy is someone who can never let her audience down, there is a sense of forced Marathi accent and some over-the-top dialogues in the film that might irritate you at times. For instance, watching Rani say lines like “fielding set kar” or “latak ke marega yaa yahin gaad doon” doesn’t feel very convincing and at times leaves you wondering if they were needed.
What came as a surprise package was Prajesh Kashyap as Ramanujan. If there is someone you should go to watch this film for, then it has to be him. Prajesh not only performs, but he delivers. His acting, dialogue delivery, and everything else have been so on point that you will enter the theatre as a Rani Mukerji fan, but you will come out surprised with what Prajesh has to offer you on screen.
Mallika Prasad, as Amma, played the lead antagonist, but somehow she became a side character in the story. While in a general cop drama, you would want the protagonist to chase down the antagonist, in Mardaani 3, Amma and Shivani come face to face quite early in the story, which dulls that drama and the building anticipation as well.
Janki Bodiwala, as Fatima, also plays a pivotal role in the film’s plot. As a budding young cop, she delivers a strong, hard-hitting performance that adds to the film’s gritty narrative. Standing alongside Rani Mukerji and still managing to leave a mark with her performance is a win in itself, and Janki does it with utmost conviction.
Technicalities
Speaking of the technicalities, while one often forgets to see the detailing in a film when it hits right at the heart, director Abhiraj Minawala didn’t forget to justify his part. While the background score for the 2-hour 9-minute film helped the audience stay hooked, the scenes where Rani enters the frame right as the puppet of a goddess appears in a play add to the depth of the film.
Final Verdict
Mardaani 3 is definitely a must-watch. While the film stumbles, Rani strongly holds a simple script on her shoulders. Though there was scope to sharpen the script, a film with purpose deserves attention, and in Mardaani 3, Rani does manage to speak for those whose voices are often left unheard.
