Mardaani 3 Review: The Rani Mukerji Starrer Is As Formulaic As It Gets
Rating: 3/5
Cast: Rani Mukerji, Mallika Prasad, Janki Bodiwala, Prajesh Kashyap
Director: Abhiraj Minawala
Storyline:
DCP Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukerji) is back in uniform, and this time the case hits even closer to the bone. When several pre-pubescent girls go missing without a trace, Shivani is pulled into a grim underworld.
Her investigation leads her to Amma (Mallika Prasad), the terrifying beggar mafia queen who controls the streets with an iron grip. But begging is only the surface of something far more disturbing, and the deeper Shivani digs, the uglier the truth becomes.
Standing by her side is Fatima (Janki Bodiwala), a sharp and committed colleague who matches Shivani step for step, while an NGO activist, played by Prajesh Kashyap, emerges as a crucial ally… or so it seems.
As loyalties blur and secrets unravel, Shivani races against time to find the missing girls before the damage becomes irreversible.
Mardaani 3 Review:
Mardaani 3 arrives with all the right intentions and a familiar promise – Rani Mukerji stepping back into the shoes of DCP Shivani Shivaji Roy to take on another ugly social evil.
And while the film never fully collapses, it also never really surprises. This ends up being the weakest entry in the franchise, mostly because it plays things far too safe.
Let us get the biggest win out of the way first. Rani Mukerji is rock solid. As always. She carries the film on her shoulders with sheer conviction. Even when the dialogue turns cheesy, Rani keeps Shivani grounded and believable. You trust her, root for her, and stay invested because she is still that dependable force of nature.
The trouble begins in the second half. The writing goes into overdrive with predictable plot points, overly convenient twists, and contrived revelations that you can see coming well in advance. Yes, the pacing stays tight and the tension is maintained, but the sense of déjà vu is hard to ignore. It is very much the same wine in a slightly shinier bottle.
Mallika Prasad as Amma looks and acts terrifying, and her screen presence is undeniably strong. Unfortunately, the character is written to be cartoonishly evil, with a backstory that feels undercooked. She scares you, but never truly unsettles you on a psychological level.
Prajesh Kashyap brings menace to key sequences and does his job well, though his villain depth remains underwritten. Janki Bodiwala, meanwhile, is effective and sincere as the young constable, even if she does not get enough to truly shine like she did in Shaitaan.
The climax is where the film really falters. It turns preachy and overdone, leaning heavily on familiar empowerment beats that feel repetitive rather than impactful.
Mardaani 3 is watchable, tense, and powered by Rani Mukerji’s unwavering presence, but its over-reliance on tropes and formula makes it feel tired. It works, but it does not wow.
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