Feb 03, 2026 6:51pm IST
‘Mardaani 3’ Review: Rani Mukerji starrer is too little, too late as far as crime dramas go
“Thodi acting-wacting toh hum bhi kar lete hain (We do a bit of acting, too)”, says Rani Mukerji’s character Shivani Shivaji Roy early on in the second half of Mardaani 3. If only anyone in this cast had…
The hard-as-nails Shivani Shivaji Roy faces off a new villain in the latest instalment of the crime franchise headlined by Rani Mukerji. And that’s kinda been the calling card for fans. Seeing her lock horns and wits against unfamiliar, unconventional male foes in the Mardaani films has always been a draw.
The latest outing has Shivani in hot pursuit of the kidnappers of two girls (one of who turns out to be an ambassador’s daughter). With no ransom demands made, she quickly deduces that there’s another motive and larger forces at play. Drawing them out by revealing the identity of the ambassador’s daughter, she lays a trap only to be foiled. As she picks up new allies along the way, she also puts herself in the middle of a bigger conspiracy and in the crosshairs of a female villain called Amma (Mallika Prasad), the head of a begging syndicate that has darker intentions.
Normally, having someone of the histrionic stature of Rani Mukerji in the lead role should’ve been enough to carry a film (or a franchise, for that matter). But as the film wearily wears on, you come to realise that if you ride a one-trick pony too long, it will show signs of fatigue. Janki Bodiwala (of Vash fame) as Fatima Anwar exists, if only to serve as a punching bag to friend/foe or to play a mute yet willing automaton. Prajesh Kashyap’s casting is the biggest head-scratcher of all. The role demanded a nuanced performance but Prajesh ends up being so wooden, it would give Pinocchio a complex. Mallika Prasad delivers an okay-ish performance. Menacing enough, but never enough that it leaps off the screen to give you nightmares.
The lack of experience shows in both the directing (Abhiraj Minawala) and writing department (Aayush Gupta). The 137 minute runtime feels longer than it should (it is also the longest film of the franchise). Many scenes just linger longer than they should with the actors sometimes randomly staring into nothingness for extended periods. An actor of the stature of Jisshu Sengupta is wasted in a bit role and that's a crying shame.
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At no point in the film, do you feel for the victims who remain a footnote, despite an impassioned yet underwhelming rant by Rani’s character to the kingpin of the crime enterprise, who shows no emotion or remorse for his actions. Even when he loses someone close to him. Even when he is close to death.
And while the film’s ending also signals another sequel, you have to wonder why. If Shivani can be fooled as easily as she is and if the villain can be fooled in the same vein, why run a pointless drill for two more hours?
A vanity project that might best be phased out at the earliest, it probably won’t be. One can hope, though.
Read More About: Janki Bodiwala, Mardaani 3, Rani Mukerji, Yashraj Films
‘Mardaani 3’ Review: Rani Mukerji starrer is too little, too late as far as crime dramas go
Reviewed on Jan. 31, 2026. Running time: 137 minutes.
Production: Yashraj Films Producers: Aditya Chopra Co-Producer: Akshaye Widhani, Rishabh Chopra
Crew: Director: Abhiraj Minawala Screenplay: Aayush Gupta Camera: Artur Zurawski PSC. Editor: Jaidev Ramchandani.
With Rani Mukerji, Janki Bodiwala, Mallika Prasad, Prajesh Kashyap
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