Mirzapur Season 3 review: The battle rages but the show treads water

After a four-year gap between seasons, the gangs and guns and hinterland series Mirzapur finally returns. Having killed their adversary Munna Tripathi (Divyenndu) at the end of season two, grievously injuring his father, Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi), Golu Gupta (Shweta Tripathi) and Guddu Pandit (Ali Fazal) are focused on consolidating their grip on Purvanchal.

The 10-episode third season swings between chaos and confusion, between strategizing and angst, between conflict, connivance and gruesome bloodshed. For the most part, the central characters are grappling with ambition to occupy the coveted throne of Mirzapur, which rules over the gangsters of the region. At the same time, they are trying to swat off the emotional tug of romantic attraction and filial loyalty.

Also read: ‘Kill’ review: The violence in this grisly action film is anything but empty

The battle for the strongest, most powerful bahubali ranges across the region—with the main contenders being Sharad Shukla (Anjumm Sharma) from Jaunpur and Guddu, who is now the self-appointed King of Mirzapur. Sharad also forms an alliance with Madhuri Yadav. Besides, he’s shielding Kaleen Bhaiya, whose unconfirmed death poses a perennial threat to his scheming wife Beena (Rasika Dugal) and to Guddu’s tenuous position. 

A character who has largely shot first, thought later, under Golu’s astute guidance, Gudu starts to use his brain and brawn. Guddu’s character graph is one of the strengths of this season and Fazal effectively conveys his loneliness, anguish, aggression as Guddu buckles under the weight of his giant ego. It’s a fantastic contrast to the once feisty Kaleen Bhaiya who makes a slow recovery to full form. His body may be broken, but we see—slowly and surprisingly—just how sharp his mind is and how cold his heart still is. Pankaj Tripathi plays this perceptively and the creators are smart in the way he is worked into the 10 episodes. Though I missed Kaleen Bhaiya in all this assured glory. Shweta Tripathi too grows into a role which is meatier. 

Guddu’s father Ramakant Pandit (Rajesh Tailang) experiences an epiphany during his incarceration as he encounters motley fellow inmates. The courtroom scenes of Ramakant’s murder trial are a welcome break from the mindless killings and power play in the small towns of Uttar Pradesh. This includes a subterfuge in the Tyagi household where Shatrughan (Vijay Varma) is now pretending to be his twin Bharat, who was actually shot dead at the end of last season. Varma works the material well even if Shatrughan’s motivations and choices are irritatingly impetuous.

In the state capital, Madhuri Yadav is now the newly widowed Chief Minister. Isha Talwar shows off a lovely collection of saris while playing the part of a woman in a hurry to get a foothold in a highly chauvinistic world in a sleepy monotone. I kept waiting for Beena to get a money scene, but Dugal is denied the opportunity to break out from scheming on the sidelines, while caring for her infant child. 

In the Pandit household, Guddu’s sister Dimpy and their mother are being cared for by money manager and Ramakant’s trusted Robin (Priyanshu Painyuli). There are few new characters of note, and none that will survive Mirzapur’s violence. 

Writers Apurva Dhar Badgaiyan, Avinash Singh Tomar and Vijay Narayan Verma and Avinash Singh stuff the series which at times feel like a whole lot of brimstone and fire and not much propulsion of plot. Directors Gurmmeet Singh and Anand Iyer expand the story even further. At 45 minutes each, the runtime feels excessive, with a surprising focus on each character’s complexes. Crisper episodes and some smarter conflicts would have been welcome. At times this season feels like an offering to legions of fans of this popular show. 

In the mould of Game of Thrones, here too the viewer invests in characters knowing full well that those we sympathise or connect with are the ones most likely to face a grisly death. After a hefty body count in season 3, new characters seem inevitable to propel the politicking and machinations central to Mirzapur. Perhaps this cleanse was needed to make way for more robust storytelling. One can hope.

Also read: ‘Minor Detail’: A group show interprets the meaning of home