Mardaani 3 Movie Review: Rani Mukerji’s Shivani Shivaji Roy Returns with a Gripping, Soul-Stirring Threequel

Rani Mukerji is back, and she’s fiercer than ever. After a six-year hiatus, the Mardaani franchise returns with its third installment, proving once again why it remains India’s most potent female-led action series. Directed by Abhiraj Minawala, Mardaani 3 takes the stakes to a global level while keeping its heart firmly in the dark alleys of the Indian hinterland.

Rani Mukerji in Mardaani 3

The Plot: A Race Against Time and a Broken System

The story kicks off with SSP Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukerji) foiling a drug-trafficking ring in the Sundarbans. However, she is soon summoned to Delhi for a high-profile case: the kidnapping of an Indian diplomat's daughter.

What starts as a routine rescue mission quickly unravels into a terrifying network of child exploitation and human experimentation. At the center of this web is Amma (played by Mallika Prasad), a chilling, light-eyed "begging-mafia" kingpin who treats human lives like disposable statistics. As Shivani digs deeper, she uncovers a sinister international conspiracy where "life is cheap," forcing her to battle not just the criminals, but a bureaucratic system that only wakes up when the powerful are affected.

Performances: The Soul and the Sinister

Rani Mukerji: She is the undisputed heart of the film. Rani doesn't just play Shivani; she inhabits her. Her performance is finessed—transitioning from cold rage to silent grief with an ease that only a veteran can command. Her action sequences are grounded and brutal, lacking the "superhero" fluff of mainstream masala cinema.

Mallika Prasad (Amma): Following the footsteps of Tahir Raj Bhasin and Vishal Jethwa is no easy feat, but Mallika Prasad delivers. As the matriarchal villain, she is unsettling and ruthless, bringing a "quiet menace" that makes your skin crawl.

Janki Bodiwala: Playing a young constable, Bodiwala provides a solid supporting arc, representing the new generation of law enforcement under Shivani’s wings.

Direction and Technical Brilliance

Director Abhiraj Minawala successfully maintains the franchise's gritty tone. The cinematography by Artur Zurawski captures the neglected corners of the city with an unflinching lens.

The background score by John Stewart Eduri is a standout, heightening the tension without becoming overbearing.

While the first half is a taut, brisk investigative thriller, the second half occasionally falters due to a slight slack in pace and some predictable plot twists. The "international conspiracy" subplot feels a bit rushed compared to the grounded reality of the film's beginning.

Final Verdict & Rating

Mardaani 3 is not just a movie; it is a sobering statement. It refuses to look away from the atrocities committed against women and children. While it may not reinvent the wheel and occasionally leans on familiar tropes, it is anchored by a powerhouse performance from Rani Mukerji.

Final Verdict: MUST WATCH for fans of gritty crime thrillers and those who want to see a "real" hero in uniform.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5 / 5