Mardaani

There are some movies which are made just to entertain but there are some which makes you think, Mardaani falls in the latter genre.

Human Trafficking is a business which is growing at an alarming rate worldwide and India is a hub of Child Trafficking and Mardaani deals with this topical subject.

Gopi Puthran chooses a controversial topic of Human Trafficking for his story and the risk with such subjects is that it becomes preachy. But thankfully Gopi's screenplay refrains from doing so and tells the story in a thriller format of a crime branch Inspector Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukherjee) who has a soft spot for an orphan Pyari (Debutant Priyanka Sharma). Life takes a turn for Shivani when Pyari goes missing, how Shivani busts the Human Trafficking nexus and finds Pyari constitutes the rest of the story.

Gopi's screenplay captures the modus operandi of how human trafficking is done in a thriller format which is engaging and keeps you at the edge of the seat; not much time is spent on the emotional quotient. It is the climax which looks a bit too convenient. The characters are realistic and so are the dialogues. But I thought the Thriller quotient could have been much better as the surprise element is missing in most part of the movie.

The performances are the biggest highlight of the movie. Rani as Shivani gives a crackling performance, everything from her body language to the way she speaks everything is spot on. Rani Mukherjee again proves that you cannot keep a good actor away for too long. Another brilliant performance is of the debutant Tahir Raj Bhasin who plays the antagonist Karan, he is so good that you start hating him, truly a brilliant debut. Tahir's portrayal of Karan is a perfect complement to Rani's portrayal of Shivani. Mona Ambegoankar gives a superb performance, though her role is small but she shines even in a brief role, sad to see that a brilliant actress like her is underutilized. Another debutant Priyanka Sharma as Pyari shows spark. Jishu Sengupta the Bengali actor is wasted in a brief role. Rest of the cast is cast well and they do a good job. I should mention Shanoo Sharma the casting director who has done a brilliant job of casting.

The second highlight is the cinematography by Artur Zurawski who captures the bylanes of Mumbai and Delhi well and keeps the tone as realistic as possible in lieu of the narration.

With "Mardaani" Pradeep Sarkar resumes his original form which was seen in "Parineeta" (2005). Though a dark and sensitive subject, but Pradeep handles it well and keeps the narrative simple though a bit of twists would have been better. But Pradeep is successful is extracting some brilliant performances from the cast which is commendable.

Kudos to Pradeep Sarkar for taking up such a sensitive issue for a movie and showing how women can defend themselves against odds. This movie is a true celebration of woman power....

I first saw this in a theatre with my dad n son. Revisited it recently on a dvd. It is a solid crime thriller. Rani Mukherjee pulled of the job of a cop very well. The fight sequences r top notch n thank God ther ain't any songs in this film. People may find similarities with Trade (2007) n Taken (2008).

Mardaani is a good film released at the right moment.

I say that because of the high proportion of news about rape and sexual assault and attacks on women in the national newspapers in India. Pradeep Sarkar succeeds in retelling the acclaimed Hollywood story (Liam Neeson's Taken) of how an officer single-handedly taken on the traders of flesh. He charms the audience by filling all holes that would've crept up had it been a poorly researched film, like all other recent Bollywood films are.

Here in, we have inspector Shivani (Rani Mukherji) who uses her manliness to search and kill the young boy, a flesh trade kingpin who kidnapped and sold her adopted child into overseas sex rackets. There are chiefly two villains in the film, both of which are good. But I am awestruck by nobody Tahir Bhasin's brilliant performance as the vindictive boss who speaks like he was a born criminal. His air, his diction, his portrayal - all upped my ante in cinema-watching experience. Come climax, this same villain goes through a paradigm shift and seems to have lost all his qualities, which drives the predictability ahead.

But I am not complaining because the 2 hours were never boring. Plus, since it conveys a message that women should stand up with a touch of power for their rights hits the right chord with the large number of women that were present in the theater hall.

Coming to the cuss language, I didn't mind it because it was a necessary component. Mukherji is good, as well. The supporting cast is fine. The title track is surely to hit the charts.

BOTTOM LINE: One of the very few watchable films in 2014 Bollywood, Mardaani is an unexpected treat. If you have 2 hours to spare this weekend, go watch it and come home entertained.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES (You should!)

It is heartening and encouraging to see women centric films doing well in Bollywood - Kahaani , English Vinglish, Queen and now Mardaani adding extra charm to the genre.

Mardaani tells the true story of drug racket and child trafficking which is very much existing in current India. An orphan goes missing from NGO doubting Crime Branch officer Shivani Shivaji Roy and investigate the case which involves a cat-mouse game between Shivani and the mafia kingpin.

From the director of Parineeta , Pradeep Sarkar is in a great form. After strings of flops , he comes back with a bang. Hats off to him for creating niche drama with well-written screenplay that will keep glued on to the screen till the end. Cinematography is outstanding. Background score gels well with the mood of the film. Editing adds crispiness to the pace. Mardaani belongs to queen of hearts - Rani Mukherjee. The supremely talented actress will prove the naysayers that she could come back and deliver a solid performance. She is mind blowing with her punches and fiery dialogues. Tahir Raj Bhasin will surprise you as mafia kingpin.

Mardaani has everything going in its favor - Brilliant direction, Strong performances. Highly recommended. Excellent 4/5

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'Mardaani' Directed by the talented Pradeep Sarkar, is A Crisp, Intense Crime-Drama, that is Well-Written, Superbly Directed & Brilliantly Acted. The film comes as a pleasant surprise & ranks among the better films of 2014, yet.

'Mardaani' Synopsis: A cop's search for a missing teenage girl leads her to the depraved world of child trafficking. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game between the fearless cop and a ruthless mafia kingpin.

'Mardaani' has a power-packed first-hour, with each sequence leaving an impact. The cat-and-mouse game between the fearless cop & the ruthless mafia kingpin is grasping, although the second-hour slows down a bit. What makes 'Mardaani' work prominently, is its raw approach & the brisk pacing, which keeps its spectator glued to the screen.

Gopi Puthran's Screenplay is fabulous. Its gritty, intense & fast. However, the climatic moments aren't too effective. Pradeep Sarkar's Direction is simply superb. He's in command this time around. Cinematography is top-class. Editing is balanced. Action-Sequences are raw.

Performance-Wise: Rani Mukherji is in terrific form. She enacts the cop with rage & intensity. She leads the film with a yet another stellar performance! Tahir Bhasin is tremendous as the chief villain. He handles his part with utmost conviction. Anil George is absolutely brilliant in a small, yet frightening role. Jisshu Sengupta is sincere. Others lend admirable support.

On the whole, 'Mardaani' packs a solid punch! Strongly Recommended!