Mardaani 3

By now, it’s clear that the Mardaani franchise — which revolves around supercop SSP Shivani Shivaji Rao (Rani Mukerji) and her patriarchy-smashing badassery — is known for its villains. Not unlike the other baddie-steals-the-show YRF action franchise, Dhoom. Unlike the Dhoom movies, though, the Mardaani trademark is that it handpicks relatively anonymous (male) talent and propels them into the limelight. Mardaani (2014) thrived on its slick and urban Wall Street-capitalist-coded mastermind; Tahir Raj Bhasin made quite the splash. Mardaani 2 (2019) pivoted to the opposite end of the spectrum; it relied on a light-eyed hinterland psychopath, gamely played by Vishal Jethwa. Given that these characters are largely created and written by men, it’s perhaps by design that they outshine the star of these movies.

Mounted more than a decade ago as a challenge to the action-hero archetype, Mardaani‘s third instalment begins as a fiercely committed, unflinching crime thriller that delves deeper into the horrors of child trafficking and the begging mafia, delivered with raw brutality and social urgency.

The promo was misleading, making it seem like a big screen repetition of what was recently seen in Delhi Crime 3. In DC3, it was lady cop Shefali Shah pitted against venomous don Huma Qureshi while busting a human trafficking syndicate. Same to same in the promo of Mardaani 3 as Rani Mukerji roared into action against a menacing Amma (Mallika Prasad) to finish a human trafficking cabal.

The chief difficulty even with popular franchises is the scourge of familiarity: how do you build in difference when the lead character and their line of work is the same? With Rani Mukerji returning for a third go round of Mardaani, her doughty cop Shivani Shivaji Roy arrayed against a new set of antagonists, we are left scrambling to discover new beats. This time around, there’s the formidable human trafficker Amma (Mallika Prasad) whose goons have been tasked with picking up pre-pubescent girls– now that’s certainly a difference– from disadvantaged backgrounds. A kidnapping-gone-wrong in a small UP town reverberates in Delhi: the girl’s father is a senior official, and the cops are given orders from on high to crack down.

Rani Mukerji’s latest offering, Mardaani 3, presents her in a larger-than-life, no-nonsense, gritty cop- a role that she has played well in the previous two instalments in the franchise. While the actress delivers well to her part, the film sticks to the basics and familiar template, giving a sense of déjà vu to the viewers. Mardaani 3 feels like a replica of its predecessor films, with just a few minor changes and an all-encompassing heroine taking charge before anyone can even step in to offer help.

बुलंदशहर से एक बच्ची किडनैप हुई है। मामला हाई प्रोफाइल है इसलिए आई.पी.एस. शिवानी शिवाजी रॉय को बुलाया जाता है। अपनी तफ्तीश में शिवानी पाती है कि मामला उतना सीधा नहीं है जितना ऊपर से लग रहा है। देश भर से 9-10 साल की बच्चियां गायब हो रही हैं। क्या कारण हो सकता है? उनसे भीख मंगवाई जा रही है? उनके अंग बेचे जा रहे हैं? या फिर कुछ और…? कौन करवा रहा है यह सब? आइए देखते हैं। 2014 में आई प्रदीप सरकार वाली ‘मर्दानी’ से जन्मी सिनेमाई कॉप शिवानी अपनी पैनी नज़र और साहस के लिए सराही गई थी जिसने उस फिल्म में लड़कियों की तस्करी और नशे का कारोबार करने वालों को सबक सिखाया था। बाद में उसी फिल्म के लेखक गोपी पुथरन के निर्देशन में 2019 में ‘मर्दानी 2’ में आकर शिवानी ने एक सनकी बलात्कारी और हत्यारे के विरुद्ध लड़ाई लड़ी थी। इस बार शिवानी के निशाने पर बच्चियों के किडनैपर हैं। मगर क्या इस बार बात पहली दो फिल्मों जैसी मज़बूत बन पाई है? आइए देखते हैं।

When we first met her in the summer of 2014, Shivani Shivaji Roy made an instant impression. Played by Rani Mukerji in a way that seemingly flumped a woman as a misfit in a man’s world but one that she steadily made her own non-negotiable domain — one punch and punchline at a time — Mardaani, with Rani leading with her feisty and fiery walk and talk, not only gave us a shero to cheer for but also a film that naturally lent itself to a franchise.