Mardaani is back with its third instalment, and Rani Mukherjee arrives wielding her ferocity. Bones rattle when we witness her in action. She awakens the protective instinct with her commanding portrayal as DCP Shivani Shivaji Roy—the woman knows neither fear nor mercy, delivering visceral blows that reverberate with the untapped power every woman possesses when society tramples upon femininity. Yet this time, the film holds up an unflinching mirror, revealing that women themselves can become instruments of patriarchy’s cruellest machinations.
DCP Shivani Shivaji Roy is on the quest to trackdown a beggar mafia network to rescue missing girls. Opening with the abduction of two girls, the narrative unfolds a darker pattern, where we see over 100 girls going missing in the last three months. Again, the film holds a reality check; the missing girls are mostly street children from impoverished families that the system gave a side eye to. All this leads to the antagonist—Amma (driven by Mallika Prasad), the wicked matriarch who runs the mafia network. Amma’s exploitation of the young girls begins with drugging them, and then she leads them to serve an unholy purpose.
Shivani is accompanied by Fatima Anwar (Janki Bodiwala); they chase down the syndicate, culminating in a climactic confrontation with the deadly network in Colombo. The twist emerges from a shadowy mastermind orchestrating operations behind Amma, binding the network together with precision.
What keeps you hooked throughout is how the film drifts away from the glamour—Rani Mukherjee embodies the authority the narrative demands. She portrays the character with controlled rage and relentless resolve—with glances that punch you in the gut. Feels like a celebration of femininity. She layered vulnerability beneath the armour, reminding us that true strength isn’t the absence of fear but the refusal to be diminished by it. With her craft, DCP Shivani Shivaji Roy becomes more than a cop—the character comes as a reckoning and a promise that justice will find its mark.
Directed by Abhiraj Minawala and produced by Yash Raj Films, the film brings a fresh perspective to the Mardaani franchise’s gritty, socially conscious storytelling.
The film releases as the actress celebrates three decades in the industry, and for every Rani Mukherjee fan, Mardaani 3 comes as a gift and a reminder that she remains irreplaceable.
Watch Mardaani 3 in the theatres today.
IWMBuzz rates it 4/5 stars.
