Rani Mukerji’s edge of the seat player MARDAANI 2 got released on 13th December. After Mardaani (part 1) it is the much-awaited cop thriller that will see Rani reprising the role of the courageous and empowered Superintendent of Police, Shivani Shivaji Roy in MARDAANI 2. She had presented an outstanding performance in the superhit and hugely praised prequel, MARDAANI, in which she took on the kingpin of a child trafficking racket. So, generally, the expectation is huge to know which crime Rani will fight against in MARDAANI 2. The film engages with the gender issue in the all too familiar and stereotypical way, barely rising above being a cat-and-mouse thriller
The script takes anticipated turns, particularly the way the climax gets placed out. Blood and gore and mob justice resolution of the former gets toned down, if not completely done away with. Be it fear, hatred or violence, somehow it’s not able to tap into or channel any of our combined feelings. Or is it that we have grown resistant to things, especially when the reality is becoming far more horrific and complex by the day than its portrayal in cinema?
Story And The Plot – Mardaani 2 Movie Review
Through the film, we see a mixture of men talk down to Shivani, from her higher officer to a local politician. Towards the end, she gives an intense speech on TV about the plight of women (it leaves one character in tears). The hollowness of this scene becomes clearer when you connect it to Soni, Ivan Ayr’s 2018 film about two female cops attempting to do their job in an alternately stooping and strong patriarchal setup. The heroes of Soni are acceptable but also unpredictable and expanded to the limit; they fail, recover and battle on. Mukerji, faced with far more prominent problems, is a peaceful, inspiring, trustworthy, cheerful smile on her face at all times: less woman, more message.
Take A Close Look – Mardaani 2 Movie Review
A poster for Mardaani 2 had asked: “Why does the age of a rapist matter?” The film, though, ends just before any sedate reflection of the question shifts necessary. This is par for the course: Hindi cinema has no desire for complexity when it comes to sexual assault, opting time and again for vigilante punishment. Shivani ended Mardaani watching on as Bhasin’s antagonist is beaten to death by a group of women. In this sleek, offensive sequel, Shivani again steps down and concedes victims to claim revenge, in full view of the public. You can’t pick and choose your lynchings for criminals, but in anyways in India, we have seen a lot and we are used to seeing them getting free for the demonic acts they do with our girls.
My Ratings: 3.5/5
Director: Gopi Puthran
Starring: Rani Mukherji, Vishal Jethwa
Storyline: Cop Shivani Shivaji Roy returns to the scene of a crime in the sequel to Mardaani, this time tracking down a serial rapist and killer
Run time: 103 minutes