Mardaani Review

One-line Review: Inspiring 'Mardaani' is worth watching!

Positive points: Rani Mukherjee's power packed performance, Realistic Plot, Impactful direction, Mardaani Anthem.

Negative Points: None.

Plot: Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukherjee) is a fearless senior police officer of Mumbai Crime Branch. She stays with her husband Dr. Bikram Roy (Jisshu Sengupta) and niece Meera, who is fond of street hawker Pyaari (Priyanka Sharma) to whom even Shivani treats like her own daughter.

One day Pyaari goes missing and all the clues states that she has fall in the heinous trap of child trafficking. Thereafter, Shivani sets herself on a mission of tracing Pyaari with the help of Police department. As the investigation proceeds, it reveals her the involvement of a big organization which is secretly headed by a businessman named Katiyal, who follows the directions of a man known by the name of Vaakil Saab but the real mastermind above all of them is an early-twenties boy Karan aka Walt (Tahir Raj Bhasin).

Drugs dealing and human trafficking are the source of money making for Karan and Pyaari is one of the victims who have fallen in his trap. But his ruling business is stressed out by Shivani. Therefore, he tries his level best to stop her investigation by trying to bribe her, which she refuses to accept. Then he tries to suppress her by harming her loved ones but she rejects to back off. The situation where none of them are ready to head back invite challenges, where Shivani warns him that she will catch him within 30 days, while Karan challenges her to bring her to that state where she herself will kill her.

Direction and Other Technical Aspects: 'Mardaani' quotes "Every war is Personal" and director Pradeep Sarkar makes it feel personally. His direction is flawless where he has maturely projected the sensitive issue of child-tracking onscreen. Inspired from the true event Gopi Puthran has penned the script very well, making the audience believe it. Further what make the film even more realistic are the well written dialogues, one of which is "Toh tu iss racket ka baap hai, aawaz se to baccha lagta hai re". These words hit like a slap on the listeners' face and leaves an impact. Cinematographer Artur Zurawski has done a fair job, while Sanjib Datta has edited the film well to 113 minutes.

'Mardaani' doesn't need "masala-drama"; the genuine work by the entire team is more than enough to make it a box-office hit!

Performance: Rani Mukherjee rules with her "never-bend" attitude throughout the film. She plays the role of a tough Senior Police officer Shivani Shivaji Roy. She takes no-non sense. She fights. She emotes. She cries. She takes everything personal. She takes stand for right. She carries a caring heart beneath her tough personality. With this performance Rani is inspiring ladies to be independent and fight for themselves.

Jisshu Sengupta and Priyanka Sharma as a supporting husband Dr. Bikram Roy and Pyaari respectively have performed well. Tahir Raj Bhasin as Mafia kingpin Walt is perfect in his villainous act and is often sarcastically referred as "Under-19 ke 12th batsman". His character's telephonic conversations with Inspector Shivani are highly entertaining.

Music: "Mardaani Anthem" sung by Sunidhi Chauhan has a strong message to give. Penned by Kausar Munir, it demands to stop tolerating, to be fearless and make change for betterment of women.

Final Verdict: In the sinful scenario, 'Mardaani' comes as a revolutionary film which inspires woman to be independent and take stand for her own rights. Set at the criminal backdrop, the film doesn't have a single moment where the audience will get diverted. Just like a standard film it takes off well right from the first scene and develops the quest by the times its intermission and then by climax when the audience feels everything is in mess and Inspector Shivani has lost out. She proves victorious. This film ends on a note that there are millions of women who are deprived of their rights and it's time for them to fight back as Rani says in her last dialogue "Ladai abhi baaki hai"!