Rani Mukerji’s Mardaani 3 nabs Rs. 17.25 crores opening weekend as the Janta hails her fiery return but slams template plot

While fans are cheering for the return of Shivani Shivaji Roy, many feel the franchise’s third outing swaps its signature grit for generic action and a lackluster villain.

Rani Mukerji’s cop action-drama Mardaani 3 arrived in theatres last week. One of Bollywood’s most successful female-led cop franchises, the third film follows Senior Superintendent Shivani Shivaji Roy as she is thrust into a complex case of the mysterious disappearance of over 90 young girls. What begins as a high-stakes rescue mission for an ambassador’s daughter quickly spirals into a dark, international conspiracy involving a ruthless beggar mafia and a sinister medical racket. The film has been directed by Abhiraj Minawala and opened to mixed reviews by the critics. 

The Janta too has mixed feelings towards the film with some praising the high-octane ‘mass appeal’ of Rani Mukerji’s return, while others feel the franchise is starting to lose its realism and gritty soul. The audience is unanimously praising the actress’ performance, but a large section of it are calling out the predictable twists and a villain that just doesn't quite live up to the chilling standards set by the first two films. 

Also Read: Mardaani 3 review: Rani Mukerji shines in a thrilling, hard-hitting quest to give voice to the vulnerable!!

Here’s what the Janta is saying about the film!

Watched #Mardaani3#RaniMukherji - A SPITFIRE💣💥
A hard-hitting, issue-driven movie that turns the mirror on another brutal reality of society.

Though Villain's part is not that convincing like previous two of this franchise but I saw and loved the whole storytelling.

3.5/5 pic.twitter.com/apz1lAaVOm

— Hemlock🚩 (@hemlock0077) February 1, 2026

Watched „Mardaani 3“ today. My favorite film of the franchise so far. Very dark & edgy. The only negative thing - I wished they’d have used the full potential out of the female villain in the film. She was great & sadly lost substance in the 2nd half.

Keep up the great work Rani pic.twitter.com/MyZb6zEYAe

— Fan Of Good Entertainment (@SurajBW) February 2, 2026

Mardaani 3 Review 🧵👇
This one goes beyond being just another sequel — it packs a punch. 💥
Rani Mukerji is back in top form, tougher and more intense, taking on her most ruthless rival so far. Gritty, hard-hitting, socially relevant, and sharply executed, the showdown keeps you… pic.twitter.com/SgpwuDxfFp

— Rahul Raj Dey (@RahulRajDey) February 1, 2026

Today, I watched the movie Mardaani 3, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Rani Mukharjee’s action scenes were absolutely captivating, and the story was well-crafted.

I highly recommend watching it in a cinema! pic.twitter.com/BjvJQZY6eC

— Kumar Shubham (@its_ShubhamK) February 1, 2026

Sometimes established norms become shackles of limitation that bury the intentions under the concrete pieces of broken rubbles. #Mardaani3 is the new addition to the list of mediocrity ignored under the disguise of commercial elements. Both the previous films did not offer a… pic.twitter.com/0GQSywSAIT

— Survi (@PavanSurvi) January 31, 2026

Mardaani 3 : Shivani shivaji roy never disappoints, one more well written instalment, this one isn’t as good as other 2 parts bt still not giving up till the end, just last monologue was unnecessary & felt so repetitive, Rani as a cop is better than Rohit shetty’s clown universe.

— Riskiest_Poison.1 (@Vodka_Cyanide) February 1, 2026

Rani mukherjee as Sivani Shivaji Roy never disappoints💥💥. Mardaani 3 proved that again and the only franchise till now to be loved by audiences. pic.twitter.com/srvPZEXFNR

— Suvranil Das (@DasSuvranil) February 1, 2026

#Mardaani3 is a good movie to watch — gripping from start to finish and never boring for a single moment. I haven’t seen the first two parts yet, but after this, I’m definitely going back to watch them.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) #RaniMukerjipic.twitter.com/WdzOuz28da

— #09:15 (@ajinkya_s89) February 1, 2026

Short Review of #Mardaani3 : if you have liked Mardaani & Mardaani 2 then you’d love Mardaani3 as well. There is almost no difference between the 3 movies. Same kind of movies, same kind of premise, same kind of screenplay and same kind of climax. No difference, all same to same. pic.twitter.com/preyGYY5cV

— Parth Chaturvedi (@_mrchaturvedi) January 30, 2026

Despite the divided opinions, Mardaani 3 has been performing well at the box office. According to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, the film earned Rs. 17.25 crores over its opening weekend minting Rs. 4 crore on Friday, Rs. 6 crores and Rs.7.25 crores on Saturday and Sunday respectively. 

#Mardaani3 puts up a healthy score in its opening weekend... The film witnessed an upward trend on Saturday as well as Sunday.

The encouraging performance of this female-led film gives its makers the much-needed confidence to take the franchise forward.

The mass circuits were… pic.twitter.com/RmQUG1EgAY

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) February 2, 2026

Mardaani 3 is now playing in theatres near you!