- Date of Release: 05 July 2024
- Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
- Language: Hindi
- Watch On: Amazon Prime Video
Mirzapur (Season 3)
Introduction
I still remember the first two seasons of Mirzapur triggering a meme culture given the popular relatable references it was willing to draw from real life. Fortunately or unfortunately(given how you look at the memes), the third season of Mirzapur doesn’t have quite a lot to offer in terms of the meme template. I would take discussion a notch up and say that this entire meandering season was a transitioning season for the ones to follow. A season wherein I witnessed less of the characters themselves and more of Mirzapur, a town slowly gaining popularity in Purvanchal, UP. But just like the events in the drama unfolding to other parts of Purvanchal namely Balia, Siwan and even Nepal amongst all places, the third season of Mirzapur also deviates and expands in all directions. Given the design of the world that is packed with too much information, something that doesn’t quite allow even the most established characters to fully bloom, this can best be termed as a filler season to eliminate a few open threads, and course correct itself into something more familiar on the route of particularly the first season. But is that a good thing and whether the third season of Mirzapur manages to still impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
The third season of the iconic show Mirzapur follows the story of Guddu even as he tries to quench his power pangs by seeking control over the entire region of Purvanchal. This, even as there are multiple kings to the throne, most of whom are his nemesis. But the story doesn’t necessarily focus only on the character of Guddu. You also have Golu who is fighting her own set of demons of being discarded and playing second fiddle to Guddu in a largely patriarchal world. You have Guddu’s father, a lawyer following his own principles while being jailed for a murder(committed in season 2) wherein he slowly loses faith in the system. You also have Sharad, the king of Jaunpur who wishes to stake his claim for the ultimate crown, or Shatrughan leading a dual life after the death of his brother Bade, and Beena and Madhuri, two fierce competitors in the universe who use their vile to change the dynamics of the region. Clearly, there are other subplots as well which means that a lot of it is unfolding at the same timeline in Mirzapur, a world created by design and slowly expanding to a point wherein the writing threatens to be out of control. And from a writing standpoint, a lot of it transpires with a simmering buildup but very little reward over its course of a whopping runtime of 10 episodes of almost 50 odd minutes each.
One of the key focuses of the first and second season of Mirzapur did lie in the revenge angle of how Guddu and Golu were wronged at the hands of the Tripathis – Munna and Akhanand. But to deviate from this plot point for most part of the third season(in fact, the full season), particularly when one of the characters was alive and still breathing, didn’t quite seem like a right creative decision. To top it, the world expanded into multiple threads, each having their own arcs, and brilliantly so may I add, that it made me feel that each of these arcs could easily be made into a show of their own. Afterall, these are mere perspectives or gazes through which the show does expand, and they would definiteky make for an interesting viewing. But Mirzapur is different. When the core conflict is not addressed in a season that returns after 4 years then I as a viewer, feel that I am cheated. And I don’t blame the writers too given how this entire season was a massive course correction of sorts of tying up the loose ends, closing as many as possible, and shifting focus back to the main plot. But that could have been done anyway, I guess? We’ll never quite know…
One of the strongest aspects of the screenplay still remains its characterization. You do see shades of a psychopath associated with the character of Guddu, who is willing to indulge in a bloodbath in order to stake his claim to the throne. This, even as most other characters around him are scheming and being tactical with their approach. This includes Beena, who would go any length to safeguard her inheritence to the throne, or even Golu who has her own vulnerabilities to tackle while thinking that she is reduced to being under the patriarchal shadow of Guddu, a man that she quietly also has feelings for. And this is a screenplay that doesn’t quite indulge in fan service at all, instead allows characters to react to situations in accordance to their personalities. This is true even for Ramakant, who slowly starts losing faith in the system that he once advocated for rather strongly.
As a part of the shock value, there are characters being bumped off throughout the narrative, and this is where the simmering drama threatens to take off. But it never really does, even as the focus remains more on the staging, and less on the event itself. So while the events are layered and extremely watchable, you do not quite connect with them emotionally, even as a parallel event kicks in between an already unfolding one, thereby almost threatening to lose focus on what it intends to say. And this consistency(or inconsistency) is maintained throughout the narrative leading up to the final act which can be termed as shocking but mostly is used as a catalyst to course correct the show. This, even as a few threads are still left loose. Overall, the screenplay here is watchable but also exhausting in equal measures particularly given the one note style of narrative. And boy did we miss the humour of the character of Munna here!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are crisp and gel well with the vibe of the drama while staying true to the land where the drama is set. The BGM is subtly used but quite effective in communicating the intended emotions while also elevating a few scenes throughout the narrative. The cinematography is good, capturing frames that are well thought out. For instance, you see a sequence from the film Don being played one(starring SRK), even as the character of Shatrughan looking on, while hiding his true identity from the world. Similar parallels van be viewed in the narrative where there are similar thoughts laid out for other characters too. This is true even for the costumes handed out to the characters. You see Golu dressing up like Guddu, a patriarchal figure in her life that she aspires to be. The editing had to be a lot sharper to iron out the multiple lags in the screenplay. Directors Gurmmeet Singh and Anand Iyer do a decent job here even though they aren’t quite able to elevate some key moments wherein the emphasis remains on the setting more than anything else. But on the positive side, the politics of the land does account for a layered narrative that is well controlled by the directors. Overall, the direction is still decent and not too bad.
Performances
The performances are one of the highlights of the show wherein almost every character is given an arc to play with, which is a rarity these days. Karan Desai as Kripa has his moments to shine as does Priyasha Bhardwaj who is pretty good as Jamuna. Rohit Tiwari as PA Anand is well restraint and plays a silent but crucial role in the dynamics with respect to the larger picture. Pramod Pathak as JP Yadav comes alive towards the final act of the show and definitely manages to impress. Prashansaa Sharma as Radhiya has a nice texture to her character who again aspires to be similar to the character of Golu, and she was supremely impressive here. I feel her character may well be a key catalyst in the next season. Pallav Singh as the bullied poet Raheem who has a sudden character transformation does a fine job here. Sheeba Chadha as Guddu’s mother is such a fine actor who leaves a mark with her nuances in terms of reaction towards characters in multiple scenes. Meghna Malik as Shakuntala is stoic and adds to the intimidation quotient with her remarkable performance.
Anangsha Biswas as Zarina looks pretty and has such an unassuming character here who can sway even twice in a particular scene. I think she is a fine actor and she does a brilliant job here in keeping the viewers guessing about the loyalty of her character. Neha Sargam as Saloni is a character partly naive but definitely leaves a mark with an impressive screen presence. She has a genuine arc and the grace and restraint that she brings to the table is outstanding. The veterans Anil George as Lala and Lilliput as Daddaji are phenomenal in their respective roles. Shernawaz Jijina as Shabnam has her moments to shine as well even though her character was a touch underwritten. Manurishi Chadha as IG Dubey is such a natural onscreen and the shifting nature of his character for vested interests is wonderfully highlighted by him.
Harshita Gaur as Dimpy is a character who has the clarity between right and wrong and she highlights this quality nicely through her performance. Priyanshu Painyuli as Robin underplays his character phenomenally well wherein there is an affable quality associated with him. He is terrific and it almost angered me with the kind of fate that he met with on the show. Rajesh Tailang is such a brilliant actor and he uses restraint as a virtue here for his character of Ramakant. You can see the deterioration of his principles through his character who agrees to be jailed while comstantly trying to fight for his justice. He was simply brilliant here. Rasika Dugal is an outstanding actor too and her ability to bring out smaller nuances to her character which was in scheming mode was something to be studied and savoured. She reminded me of Lady Macbeth who would continue to poison the mind of Macbeth(in this case Guddu) in a quest for power. She was terrific here.
Isha Talwar as Madhuri is subtly intimidating with her character wherein she has to glance blankly also while other characters anticipate a meltdown. And this was the beauty of her unassuming act, you could never predict her behavior that lead to a phenomenal performance wherein she is quietly aggressive and intimidating with her presence. Anjum Sharma as Sharad does a good job too, continuing to be well restrained while being a perfect nemesis to Guddu, and perhaps the only visible thorn in his flesh. I needed more of Pankaj Tripathi in this season who comes to the party rather late as Kaaleen Bhaiyya. There is nuance to his act until all hell breaks loose but it only came too late in the day. Vijay Varma as Shatrughan does a good job while tackling with the predictability of his character with finesse and grace. You can see that the character has a lot of heart and care but the folks around him play a part to curtail it. And this dichotomy of his character was nicely highlighted by him.
Shweta Tripathi as Golu is exceptional with her act particularly also because the conflict given to her is relevant in today’s world. A character almost being ashamed of her womanhood in what is a man’s world that she is living in, Shweta does an incredible job in conveying her vulnerabilities and partly scheming to make her way to the top. Ali Fazal as Guddu is excellent here as the unfiltered goon who is explosive and reactive in many ways without taking into account the external factors around him. This was a fiery performance wherein he did go all guns blazing even though the writing didn’t exactly allow him to hog all the limelight that he had earned with the previously released two seasons. But it still was a fantastic performance in what was a ballistic role.
Conclusion
The third season of Mirzapur boasts of outstanding performances that elevate a meandering ‘transition’ season of sorts. The dichotomy for me as a reviewer lies in its terrific world building and characterization that isn’t exactly rewarding at the end, instead it is a touch exhausting with the kind of detailing and design on display. Each arc works well but in the larger scheme of things, it still has very little to say although the proceedings are supremely watchable. It simmers and threatens to take off but it doesn’t exactly, even as the phenomenal performances save the day. Available on Amazon Prime.
