05 July,2024 08:47 AM IST | Mumbai | Bohni Bandyopadhyay
Mirzapur Season 3 is out now on Prime Video
Very few Indian web series have been able to sustain the intrigue and curiosity in subsequent seasons. Mirzapur is one of them, but not without its flaws though. One of the problems of bringing back a series with such a large scale and so many contenders after such a long gap is that one tends to have disassociated with many of the characters, and forgotten plot points.
Season 3 begins where the second one ended. All questions that arose from season 2 are answered in the first two episodes. Once that is done, the makers embark on this season's narrative. A lot has changed - Munna (dead) and Kaleen (not going to reveal) are out of action and two different people are facing off now.
The fight is now between Sharad Shukla and Guddu Pandit. Both of them want to win 'Mirzapur ki gaddi'. Sharad also wants to avenge the death of his father, who was killed by Guddu. The latter has removed Kaleen Bhaiya from the position, but has to prove himself worthy of the chair.
Sharad plays his game with his brains, with the help of CM Madhuri Yadav. Guddu, known for using his brawn over brains, has two women advisors - Golu and Beena. Golu tries to be his brains, while Beena is slowly trying to establish control.
While there is ample bloodshed and little regard for human life in this season, too, as is usual in the world of Mirzapur, the action scenes aren't impactful enough. Even the villainy on display is not as impressive as the previous seasons.
Sharad Shukla (Anjumm Shharma) lacks the grit and intensity of a feared villain, and so his face-offs with Guddu too seem rather lacklustre. There's no palpable tension between them.
Ali Fazal, however, is a delight to watch as Guddu. From the walk to the body language and the dialect, he has the character down pat. With Pankaj Tripathi receding to the background and Divyenndu's madness missing, it is Fazal's scenes that one looks forward to the most.
Another person who deserves applause is of course Shweta Tripathi as Golu. Her petite frame walking about with authority, gun in hand and flanked by a bunch of goons, is a rare yet delightful sight. The daredevilry of her character, bordering on foolhardy, is remarkable but not advisable.
Another woman whose steely reserve and subtle villainy add more layers to his series is of Isha Talwar as CM Madhuri Yadav. She has her own scores to settle, and though far from the action on the ground, she is very much involved.
Vijay Varma, Rajesh Tailang's characters also get enough screen time in the aftermath of season 2's events. While one is dealing with a life in jail, the other is living like an imposter and seeking revenge.
This season we see more women in charge and taking control of matters - Golu, Beena, Shabnam, and Madhuri Yadav. The storyline has ample fodder and edginess to keep the audience hooked, except for a couple of episodes in the middle.
