Mardaani showcases the many faces of women in a man's world - be
it the fearless foul mouthed protagonist or the multitude of girls that either
defy or succumb to pressures of the human trafficking mafia or the master mind
behind the mafia itself – all women; albeit with different motives.
Shivani
Roy (Rani Mukherji) – Sr. Inspector, Crime Branch, Mumbai – transforms from a
loving wife and a doting aunt, to a woman on a mission when dealing with crime
and criminals. Criminals are her
personal enemies and her only friends are like minded co – workers; folks who
respect the law and detest crime.
Shivani’s
already adventurous life receives a jolt when a young orphan (a close friend of
her niece) goes missing without any clues of her whereabouts; or her
existence. Her sole aim of locating the
girl opens a can of worms – a child trafficking ring that is very professionally
and ruthlessly run out of India’s capital city of Delhi, with the blessings of
those in power; those very men who run the state.
The
kingpin – a youngish boy next door – turns out to be a worthy adversary for the
battle hardened Shivani, and her every step in his direction is fraught with
danger. Is he really the brain behind
the mayhem? Is there anyone, more
experienced, who guides him on this path of evil? Answers to these and more leading to the gory
climax form the rest of the narrative.
Pros:
Rani Mukherji does a good job – there was never a doubt about her acting
skills; but to experiment in an out and out action role and successfully don
the khakis on screen, she has done commendably well. The story brings out a plausible modus
operandi of the human & child trafficking mafia in India – the horrifying
facts at the end of the movie are an eye opener.
Cons:
The action scenes could have been better choreographed – the standard of action
in Indian cinema has undergone a huge transformation in the last few years and
this movie falls short. Shivani’s war
against child trafficking is out of the purview of her role as Sr. Inspector at
Mumbai Crime Branch – how she managed to get the system working to support her
is a mystery (though not impossible) and this human aspect of the police force could
have been portrayed in much better light.
Verdict:
3* for Rani and the bold topic. The
direction and overall narrative seemed fairly amateurish; but worth a one time
watch.
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