Actress Rani Mukerji returned to the big screen with the third installment of her popular Mardaani franchise. The cop drama was released in theatres on January 30. Despite strong competition from Sunny Deol’s Border 2, which has been enjoying a successful run at the box office, Mardaani 3 managed to make a solid impact on its opening day.
Mardaani 3 box office
Mardaani 3 earned Rs 4 crore on its opening day, according to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, who shared the figures on X. The film recorded the highest opening-day collection of the franchise. Earlier, Mardaani (2014) opened at Rs 3.46 crore, while Mardaani 2 (2019) collected Rs 3.8 crore on Day 1.
Rani on wearing the uniform again
Rani Mukerji said that wearing the police uniform for the third time feels like both a privilege and an honour. Expressing her excitement about returning to the character of Shivani Shivaji Roy, the actress said portraying a woman in uniform carries immense responsibility.
Speaking to IANS, Rani said, “I think it’s a huge privilege and a huge honour for me to be playing a woman in uniform. Their life struggles, the challenges they face every day, and the kind of crimes they solve make them extraordinary.”
She further highlighted the sacrifices and resilience of Indian female police officers, adding, “Through Shivani Shivaji Roy’s character, I can show the world what Indian female officers do day in and day out.”
About Mardaani 3
Directed by Abhiraj Minawala and produced by Aditya Chopra, Mardaani 3 continues the franchise’s tradition of socially relevant storytelling. While the first film tackled human trafficking and Mardaani 2 explored the psyche of a serial rapist, the third installment delves into another dark and brutal social reality.
Actress Janaki Bodiwala, known for Shaitaan, joins the franchise in a pivotal role. The film is written by The Railway Men writer Aayush Gupta and was released worldwide on January 30.
The original Mardaani was released in 2014 and featured Rani Mukerji alongside Jisshu Sengupta, Tahir Raj Bhasin, and Anant Vidhaat Sharma. The sequel, released in 2019, was directed by Gopi Puthran and starred Vishal Jethwa.
