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Mardaani 3

Mardaani 3 is a 2026 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Abhiraj Minawala and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films. A sequel to the 2019 film Mardaani 2 and the third instalment in the Mardaani Trilogy, it stars Rani Mukerji in the lead role, alongside Prajesh Kashyap, Janki Bodiwala and Mallika Prasad. The narrative follows police officer Shivani Shivaji Roy as she investigates the case of 93 young girls who have gone missing under mysterious circumstances in just three months.

Plot
Indian diplomat Sahu’s (Indraneel Bhattacharya) daughter Ruhani, along with their caretaker’s daughter Jhimli, are kidnapped by unknown men. Concerned about potential terrorist involvement, the case is handed over to India’s top intelligence agency, the NIA. Impressed by her recent successful operation in taking down a human trafficking network, the NIA chief assigns the case to officer Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukerji). After an initial investigation, Shivani rules out terrorist involvement and concludes that the culprits are ordinary human traffickers who mistook Ruhani for a girl from a poor family. At Shivani’s instruction, Sahu makes a public statement about his daughter’s disappearance and offers a reward of 20 million for information, aiming to discourage the kidnappers from killing her. Shivani’s judgment proves correct, as the kidnappers are indeed human traffickers who have already sold the two girls to Amma (Mallika Prasad), a slum mafia boss. After seeing Sahu’s public statement, the kidnappers steal Ruhani back from Amma and contact Sahu to demand the reward. At the exchange location, one kidnapper escapes with the money without returning Ruhani, while another is arrested. The arrested kidnapper confesses that he and his partners have sold dozens of pre-pubescent girls to Amma, who specifically demanded them. He also provides information about his accomplices. Two of Amma’s assassins are spotted by police informants. Shivani leads her team in following them, hoping to locate Amma. The two assassins head to an NGO and attempt to kill its owner, Ramanujan (Prajesh Kashyap), but Shivani’s team intervenes and saves him. Ramanujan runs a rehabilitation center for underage victims of human trafficking who were forced to beg on the streets, and he has previously helped the police capture several traffickers. Believing his assistance could be valuable, Shivani includes Ramanujan in her investigation. The kidnappers, along with Ruhani, are later spotted at a hotel. Shivani rushes there to carry out a rescue. Due to time constraints, Shivani, police officer Fatima (Janki Bodiwala), and Ramanujan begin the operation before backup arrives. A crossfire ensues, during which Fatima is injured and all the kidnappers are killed. Amid the chaos, Ramanujan attempts to retrieve Ruhani, but instead secretly kills her and claims that the kidnappers were responsible. It is revealed that Ramanujan is actually Amma’s accomplice. The plan was to gain Shivani’s trust so he could eliminate Ruhani and erase evidence of Amma’s operations. Ruhani’s case is officially closed following the deaths of both the kidnappers and Ruhani. The NIA withdraws from Amma’s case, leaving it to local police since the remaining victims come from poor families. However, Shivani refuses to abandon the case and continues pursuing Amma. Meanwhile, another young victim of human trafficking escapes from her captors and is found in critical condition. Before dying, she provides clues that suggest Ramanujan’s involvement, prompting Shivani to investigate him further. Through Ramanujan’s legal guardian, Mohammad Aslam, Shivani uncovers his past: he was kidnapped by Amma as a child to be used as a beggar. However, impressed by his resilience, Amma instead sent him to school and groomed him as her partner in crime. Over time, a mother-son-like bond developed between them. Shivani uses Ramanujan as bait to reach Amma and manages to arrest both of them. However, Mohammad Aslam, the only witness linking Ramanujan to Amma, commits suicide after witnessing the arrest. As a result, the police are forced to release Ramanujan due to lack of evidence. Shivani is also suspended for disobeying orders. That same night, Fatima helps Amma escape and disappears with her. Despite her suspension, Shivani refuses to give up. She forms a team with her loyal colleagues to continue pursuing Amma. Their investigation leads them to Sri Lanka, where Amma has transported the trafficked girls, and Ambassador Sahu discreetly assists the team. It is then revealed that Ramanujan and Amma have been selling pre-pubescent girls to medical companies for illegal human experimentation. During the operation, Shivani’s team ambushes Amma’s vehicle and, with Fatima, who is revealed to be a fake mole, helping them, successfully captures Amma. Shivani visits Ramanujan at his facility, and demands that he release all the trafficked girls in exchange for Amma, and he agrees. However, before the exchange, Amma attempts to escape and holds a team-member hostage, forcing Shivani to shoot her dead. During the exchange, Shivani falsely claims that Amma has only been sedated. Believing this, Ramanujan releases the girls, including an injured Fatima, who was tortured by Ramanujan. As he approaches nearer, he realizes that Amma is dead, and taking cover, Shivani detonates a bomb hidden in Amma’s clothing, incapacitating Ramanujan’s men. Shivani fights an injured Ramanujan and injects him with the virus he has been using for the drug experimentation. Successful with the operation, Shivani gets reinstated who requests her own task force with Fatima. She visits an ailing Ramanujan in prison, who is dying from the virus, and taunts him about her task force, resolving to end human trafficking. == Cast ==
Cast
Rani Mukerji as SSP Shivani Shivaji Roy IPSJanki Bodiwala as Constable Fatima Anwar • Mallika Prasad as Amma • Jisshu Sengupta as Dr. Bikram Roy, Shivani's husband • Prajesh Kashyap as Ramanujan • Somansh Singh Dangwal as young Ramanujan • Indraneel Bhattacharya as Ambassador Sahu • Mikhail Yawalkar as Inspector Balwinder Singh Sodhi • Digvijay Rohidas as Jafar • Jimpa Sangpo Bhutia as Jimpa • Avanee Joshi as Ruhani, Sahu's daughter • Diorr Varghese as Jhimli • Jaipreet Singh as the Director General of the National Investigation AgencyNaved Aslam as Home Secretary Vijender Sahani • Aurobindo Bhattacharjee as ASP, Delhi Police • Roopangi Vanvari as Smita, Sahu's wife • Pawan Kumar Singh as Caretaker Monu • Dhananjay Singh as Inspector General, Uttar Pradesh Police • Shashie Verma as Station House Officer, Lodhi Colony Station • Kuldeep Singh as Sub Inspector Ahmed • Shashank Shende as Aslam • Rushad Rana as Prajapati • Mahesh Ginnilal as Lallan • Deepak Kamboj as Bilal • Vicky Kanadi as Munna • Aeklavya Tomer as KD • Adesh Pandit as Pinku • Sukumar Tudu as Bengali Boss • Jeffery Goldberg as Mr. Wyland == Production ==
Production
Development Yash Raj Films officially announced the project on 13 December 2024, with Rani Mukerji confirmed to reprise her role as Shivani Shivaji Roy. Abhiraj Minawala was roped in to direct the film, replacing Gopi Puthran, the writer and director of Mardaani 2. Mallika Prasad was cast as the antagonist, becoming the first female villain in the franchise. Janki Bodiwala was cast in a pivotal role. Filming Principal photography began in March 2025 and concluded in November 2025. Filming took place primarily in Delhi and Mumbai, with additional scenes shot in Haryana, Noida, Pondicherry, and Colombo. == Music ==
Music
The single track "Babbar Sherni" was released on 20 January 2026. == Release ==
Release
Theatrical Mardaani 3 was theatrically released on 30 January 2026. It was initially scheduled to release on 27 February 2026, coinciding with the Holi weekend, before being preponed. Home media The post-theatrical digital streaming rights of the film were acquired by Netflix. The film began streaming on Netflix from 27 March 2026. == Reception ==
Reception
Box office Mardaani 3 grossed worldwide on its opening day. In its first week, the film grossed worldwide. Critical response Mardaani 3 received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. A critic from Bollywood Hungama gave 3.5 out of 5 stars, describing the film as a powerful, intense, and hard-hitting thriller that stays true to the sole of the franchise. The review highlighted Mukerji's performance, the direction, screenplay, background score, and technical aspects, but criticised the twists in the second half. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave 3.5 out of 5 stars, writing, "Rani Mukerji delivers a power-packed, unblemished star turn that should rank among the finest of her 30-year acting career". Vineeta Kumar of India Today gave 3 out of 5 stars, praising the cast performances, action sequences, and background score, but felt that no part of the film matches the raw impact of the first film. Dhaval Roy of The Times of India gave 3.5 out of 5 stars, writing, "Mardaani 3 isn't without flaws, but it still holds as a solid franchise outing anchored by Rani Mukerji's performance". Rishabh Suri of the Hindustan Times gave 3 out of 5 stars, praising Mukerji's performance and the pacing, but criticised the narrative. Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost gave 4 out of 5 stars, praising the performances of Rani Mukerji and Mallika Prasad. Shaschi Chaturvedi of News18 gave 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising the cast performances, writing, and technical aspects, however felt there was scope to sharpen the script. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 2 out of 5 stars, writing, "Rani Mukerji can't do much with the degree of over-writing and predictable plot-points". Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India wrote, "Mardaani 3 isn't a bad film. It's just not very good, fresh, surprising or smart. It coasts through on hot air, releashed emotions, and predictable commentary. In other words, it's more of a producer-driven template than a director-and-writer fuelled one". == Controversy ==
Controversy
According to reports, the film was allegedly linked to a publicity stunt involving claims of "800 missing children in Delhi", coinciding with the film's release. The Delhi Police stated, "After certain clues, we learned that publicity regarding the increasing number of missing girls in Delhi was being spread in exchange for money. Creating panic for profit will not be tolerated, and strict action will be taken against those involved". However, these claims were denied by Yash Raj Films. == References ==
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