One of the first mega-budget YRF productions, Mardaani 3, is released today, January 30. Rani Mukerji appears as a fearless cop in the third instalment of the Mardaani franchise. Here’s a complete review of the movie.
Movie Review: Mardaani 3
Cast: Rani Mukerji, Mallika Prasad, Mikhail Yawalkar, Janki Bodiwala, Jisu Sengupta
Director: Abhiraj Minawala
Release: 30 January 2026
Rating: 4
Rani Mukerji returns as the strong-willed character, Shivani Shivaji Roy, who fights a persistent human-trafficking ring. This time, she faces a strong female antagonist (Mallika Prasad as Amma), bringing a psychological intensity to the conflict, in the third instalment of the Mardaani franchise. Mardaani 3 tackles serious themes- child trafficking, systemic apathy, and moral urgency- grounding its action in real-world consequences rather than spectacle. One of the first mega-budget YRF productions, Mardaani 3, is released today, January 30. The film has Aayush Gupta as its writer and Abhiraj Minawala as its director. The film is particularly noteworthy for commemorating Rani’s 30 years in Bollywood.
Rani Mukerji roars as a lioness
The film finds its most vital element through Rani Mukerji, who serves as its central focus. The story depends on her screen presence, which she uses to create an impressive performance as Shivani. It can be said that Rani’s portrayal of Shivani Shivaji Roy is the strongest in the franchise. Right from her entry scene, Rani Mukerji was able to grab the audience’s attention. The graph of her character kept on growing throughout the film. Speaking of her action sequences, Rani, if not heroically so appealing, made it look very raw and organic. She portrays a strong-witted and fearless cop, fighting to save the minor victims from the hands of a ruthless villain, Amma.
Mallika Prasad as the cruel Amma will make you…
Mallika Prasad’s Amma delivers a chilling, compelling antagonist- though her character could have been even more fully developed. As per the pre-release hype, Mallika Prasad’s character was undoubtedly intimidating, especially during her entry scene, where she makes her way from the car carrying a child’s dead body in a polypack, but the character loses its intriguing aura gradually as the movie progresses.
Mikhail Yawalkar’s Ramanujan adds shocking…
The story’s main villain emerges through Mikhail Yawalkar’s portrayal of Ramanujan who brings an unexpected plot development to the story. Mikhail who plays Rama in the movie stands out from the supporting cast because he develops both the investigation and emotional aspects of the plot. Rama serves as Amma’s main companion while demonstrating his ability to create unexpected challenges for Shivani’s efforts to stop the trafficking network.
Yawalkar demonstrates his ability to perform through his combination of subtle strength and brutal behaviour. Mikhail stands out as a more dangerous villain when compared to Mallika, who plays the main antagonist.
Final verdict
Overall, Mardaani 3 is engaging, allowing the audience to hold on to the edges of their seat. Although the film builds up in the second half with interesting twists and turns. The film maintains its serious tone because Abhiraj Minawala directed it without creating any unnecessary visual elements. However, the familiarity of the overall structure may feel less surprising to those who have seen the earlier instalments.
Read the full article here
