Mirzapur 3 review: Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi return with more gore, less spark

Mirzapur 3 review: The show, starring Ali Fazal & Pankaj Tripathi, falters at places with weak storyline, too many main characters & predictable highpoints.

Mirzapur 3 review: After four years, the third season of Mirzapur is back with Ali Fazal and Pankaj Tripathi reprising the roles of Guddu bhaiya and Kaleen bhaiya respectively. This time, the power cards have been reshuffled, with bloodshed and gore playing a central role. However, aside from some redeeming moments, Mirzapur 3 is all about the fizz and no rizz.

The season has been directed by Gurmmeet Singh and Anand Iyer.

It can be described as a violent tale of revenge delivering visceral thrills along with quietly striking moments of beauty. But was the wait worth it?

The show falters at many places, from weak storyline, too many main characters to predictable highpoints. At the same time, it manages to charm with exceptional performances and an engaging first half.

Mirzapur can be credited for introducing violence, bloodshed, and gore in the Indian OTT space. And the third season is definitely taking it a notch higher.

In its core, Mirzapur narrates a story of Hindi heartland violence that intersects the world of Indian politics and law enforcement. It’s a snapshot of power games, sex, drugs, death, conflicted relationships and betrayals.

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What works

The show picks up where the second season ended. It shows Guddu bhaiya (Ali Fazal) along with Golu (Shweta Tripathi Sharma) revelling in the power after claiming the Mirzapur throne. Kaleen bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi) is seen grieving the death of his son (Munna played by Divyenndu) after escaping death himself.

The directors – Gurmmeet Singh and Anand Iyer – have made sure to use locations to make it more realistic. Several scenes are used to show the changing storyline, such as breaking of Kaleen bhaiya’s statue depicting taking over control of Mirzapur, and Madhuri (Isha Talwar) stepping in to light the pyre of her husband Munna.

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In fact, they have used elaborative graphics to explain the expanding map of the Mirzapur universe, and the bloodshed following the trail all through Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Northern Bihar and Nepal.

When it comes to performances, Ali Fazal, Shweta Tripathi Sharma and Anjumm Shharma have excelled as Guddu, Golu and Sharad respectively. Their tension, conflict and vengeance are transferred to the audience.

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This time, Anjumm and Vijay Varma bring their versatility into the spotlight by showcasing layers of dark ambitions and emotional vulnerabilities. Harshita Gaur, Rajesh Tailing, and Sheeba Chadha have done well to support the show, and uplift a flat screenplay with their emotive performances. When it comes to gore and variety, the third season checks all the boxes. The twists and turns are engaging.

What doesn’t work

The current season brings along lots of fresh characters along with previous ones, and connecting all the dots is a task. Perhaps, that’s where a slower pace of the plot would've helped.

Isha Talwar impresses one with her command over the character of Chief Minister Madhuri. However, there were moments when her acting seemed weak for an otherwise powerful character. There are some scenes reminiscent of the world of Game of Thrones. The shock value is intact, and might make you shrill.

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Many of the Mirzapur fans were waiting for a faceoff between Kaleen bhaiya and Guddu bhaiya for the past four years. That was missing. Through the whole season, except the last 15 minutes, one gets a sense that actor Pankaj Tripathi is taking a back step from the gangster world, letting the younger generations and new rivalries take the lead.

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While Rasika Dugal is compelling again as Beena Tripathi, her character feels underwritten. She shines in the screen time she is given, be it when she is plotting again or her vulnerability as a mother cutting through some scenes. After a promising entry in season two, Priyanshu Painyuli aka Robin also seems underutilised this time.

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The finale seems underwhelming sans any fireworks, making one wonder if that is what we were building up to? Perhaps the team leaned a little too heavily into the relentless rhythm, wasting the promise of the world they created and leaving some loose ends. And yet, you kind of forgive, as it promises a fun binge watching experience, best enjoyed with your gang.

All in all

The stakes are high. The risks are high. The drama is high. But the flare is low. The third season deserves a shot despite the predictable storyline because of the performances, direction, and moments of horror soaked in blood. Produced by Excel Entertainment, Mirzapur season 3 is now streaming on Prime Video India.