Rani Mukerji returns to the big screen after a gap of almost three years, and she announces herself as a tour de force. Then again, given that she steps (once again) into the shoes of SSP Shivani Shivaji Roy, she could only have made her entry to the beat of rousing rhythms. In Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway, Mukerji's loud, grating voice left scars in your ears. Her Debika was a hero because she could battle the Norwegian foster care system with a vocal tone that had the power to inflict wounds on eardrums. Mardaani 3, however, gives Mukerji a proper hero's welcome. This is the Mukerji I admire: the Mukerji with a more commanding screen presence than any recent macho hero in a mediocre, adrenaline-fueled masculine vehicle. As Shivani, the actor shows her male counterparts what they are missing and how they should carry themselves. What she brings to the table is a sense of authority (rather than just style) and a convincing don't-mess-with-me attitude.
In the role, Mukerji has been consistently excellent. She performs with an urgency that lends weight to her missions. We watch these movies with the sense that Shivani's case is time-sensitive, that victims are in real danger. It helps that the villains are extremely punchable. They boil your blood, especially Tahir Raj Bhasin's Karan, who, in Mardaani, makes you want to hit him with your slippers. Admittedly, that same punchability is missing from this new sequel. Amma (Mallika Prasad) and a mystery figure whose identity I will not reveal (no spoilers) do not arouse extreme disgust. Prasad, in this role, looks like a spooky ghost (she delivers a jump-scare moment when she suddenly appears from under a blanket), and from certain angles, she instills a bit of knee-shaking fear. Yet, the performance is dramatically polished—it feels like a performance. Prasad seems controlled; her Amma doesn't push your deeper buttons. And as far as the mystery figure is concerned, the character feels more like a clever bad person than a villain who leaves you with an urgent need to take a shower.
Mardaani 3, you see, is slick and stylish. It's a well-oiled machine, but one devoid of a punch in the gut. Given the subject matter, the film could have significantly benefited from something more visceral. Nonetheless, this is a decent outing that understands its setups and payoffs, its twists and turns. I was impressed by a pre-interval action block that puts a palpable chink in Shivani's armor. Her defeat is marked by a superb layer of vulnerability, where we notice the embarrassment of an honest officer, the defeat of a savior, and the wounds of a woman. Shivani's relationship with her husband, Dr. Bikram Roy (Jisshu Sengupta), meanwhile, gets its reams of history across with just the sweet chemistry the actors share.
Janki Bodiwala's Constable Fatima Anwar is another female cop alongside Shivani, and she's quite different from her senior. Fatima is not very self-assured or a one-woman army figure, but like Shivani, she is honest and courageous. Bodiwala's casting works wonders because she looks like that shy kid who is constantly underestimated—and this becomes the source of a few surprises.
One senses writer Aayush Gupta and director Abhiraj Minawala commenting on the state of our system. A SWAT team doesn't arrive on time due to heavy rain and flooding—are fingers being pointed at bad infrastructure? Shivani's seniors, meanwhile, are the kind of people who care for VIPs and lack good judgment, underlining a justice system run by individuals who consider the lives of ordinary people disposable. If big statements are being made, they are broad ones. Everything is viewed from a safe vantage point, wrapped in a vague, mainstream flavor. Mardaani 3 may play it safe, but Shivani is a daredevil. She is a hero because she doesn't let her uniform become her limitation. Shivani soars. She isn't easily intimidated. And she remains the best reason to watch this sequel.
Final Score- [6/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
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Publisher at Midgard Times