Mirzapur The Movie REVIEW: Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal & Divyenndu Keep Familiar World Afloat But New Story Struggles

Film:
Mirzapur The Movie

Director: Gurmmeet Singh

Writer: Puneet Krishna

Cast: Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Jitendra Kumar, Ravi Kishan, Rasika Dugal, Shweta Tripathi, Harshita Gaur, Sheeba Chaddha

Platform: In Theatres

Runtime: 3 hours, 17 minutes

Mirzapur The Movie Review

The throne has an important rule that ‘no one should be left’. Similarly, the audience won’t be left to watch the longest film that feels predictable. Mirzapur The Movie returns to the violent world of power, revenge and ambition, where old rivalries resurface, and new contenders enter the battle for control. Does the storyline make any impact? No, it’s just a spin-off of the Mirzapur series part 1, a moment between the 6th and the 7th episode.

Mirzapur The Movie brings back the franchise’s most iconic faces Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi), Guddu Pandit (Ali Fazal) and Munna Bhaiya (Divyenndu). Yet, despite this powerful line-up, the film struggles to capture the raw, ruthless energy that made these characters cult favourites.

The film expands the franchise’s universe by introducing characters from Jaisalmer, including Baban Yadav and Bhairav Singh Karnawat, whose personal rivalry becomes an important thread in the story. The larger question, will Bhairav be able to capture Mizapur’s fits into Kaleen Bhaiya’s world and whether these new characters can bring the same intensity to the franchise. While the film attempts to explore a different side of these characters, the shift feels forced rather than refreshing. It has the characters, but sadly misses the soul and badassery of Mirzapur. The absence of the franchise’s trademark profanity and language, and the lack of genuinely thrilling action and violence take away much of its edge.

What Works

The biggest strength of Mirzapur The Movie is undoubtedly its familiar ensemble. Seeing Kaleen Bhaiya, Guddu Pandit and Munna Bhaiya share the same universe again carries a certain nostalgia. The film also deserves credit for attempting to move beyond the established dynamics and explore shades of its characters that audiences may not have seen before.

Divyenndu, in particular, gets an interesting opportunity to revisit Munna. There is a more vulnerable and emotionally layered side to the character this time, allowing the actor to look beyond the swagger and aggression associated with him.

What Does Not Work

The film also feels unnecessarily long, with several portions stretched well beyond what the narrative requires. Some actors got more screen time than they deserve, while the female characters are not given enough depth or originality. The extended runtime affects the pacing and ultimately takes away from the impact of moments that could have worked far more effectively.

The biggest issue is that the film often feels like Mirzapur without the very elements that gave the franchise its identity. The profanity is considerably restrained, and while that alone shouldn’t determine the quality of a film, here it contributes to the feeling that the rawness of the original has been diluted.

More importantly, the action doesn’t have the same visceral impact or unpredictability. The violence is present, but the adrenaline isn’t always. The film attempts to explore a different side of the Mirzapur universe, which is an interesting creative choice, but the execution doesn’t consistently generate the tension the story demands.

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Technical Analysis

Mirzapur The Movie is competent, with a production design that maintains the gritty atmosphere associated with the franchise. However, the pacing occasionally takes away from the tension. The action set pieces could have carried greater weight, while some dramatic stretches lack the punch required to sustain the film’s momentum.

Star Performances

Pankaj Tripathi as Akhandanand Tripathi aka Kaleen Bhaiya brings his trademark restraint to Kaleen Bhaiya. His controlled screen presence remains effective, although the character doesn’t always get more commanding moments one expects from him.

Ali Fazal as Guddu Pandit continues to embody Guddu’s aggression and vulnerability with conviction. However, the writing doesn’t always give him enough explosive material to truly dominate the narrative.

Divyenndu as Munna Tripathi is one of the film’s highlights. You will find yourself drawn to this more vulnerable and emotionally expressive version of Munna. He remains a baddie, but the film allows us to see the deep emotions underneath his aggression.

Jitendra Kumar as Bablu Pandit steps into the role previously played by Vikrant Massey and brings his own interpretation to the character, yet sticks to the narrative scale.

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Ravi Kishan as Babban Yadav is perfectly cast. There is an effortless charm and confidence to his performance, making Babban an intriguing addition to the franchise’s power dynamics.

Abhishek Banerjee as Subodh ‘Compounder’ slips comfortably back into the dark, eccentric world of Mirzapur.

Rasika Dugal as Beena Tripathi brings the complexity and quiet strength that have always made Beena an interesting character, with a twist in the story.

Shweta Tripathi as Gajgamani aka Golu Gupta brings intensity to Golu, though her character could have benefited from stronger dramatic material.

Shriya Pilgaonkar as Swaragini aka Sweety Gupta brings emotional sincerity to Sweety’s character.

Harshita Gaur as Dimpy Pandit brings warmth and vulnerability to her character.

Sonal Chauhan as Mumtaz Bibi makes her presence felt, adding another layer to the film’s expanding world.

Sushant Singh as Bhairav Singh Karnawat brings gravitas to Bhairav, particularly as the character’s personal rivalry begins to intersect with the larger power struggle.

Mohit Malik as Birju Lohar adds another interesting presence to the film’s ensemble; his character plays a major part in the movie.

Sheeba Chaddha as Vasudha Pandit brings emotional depth to her role as the Pandit family’s matriarch.

Rajesh Tailang as Adv. Ramakant Pandit remains dependable, bringing sincerity and restraint to Ramakant.

Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Satyanand aka Bauji Tripathi lends the character the authority and menace expected from the patriarch of the Tripathi family.

Shaji Choudhary as Maqbool Khan brings familiarity to a character deeply connected to the franchise’s earlier chapters. Anangsha Biswas as Zarina adds another layer to the ensemble.

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Conclusion

Mirzapur The Movie isn’t devoid of moments, and the return of its iconic characters carries undeniable emotional and nostalgic value but nostalgia alone cannot recreate the magic of the original series.

The film deserves credit for attempting to explore a different side of its characters, but it loses some of the rawness, profanity, unpredictability and adrenaline that made Mirzapur so addictive. It has the faces, the world and the legacy, but somewhere along the way, it loses touch with the very madness that made Mirzapur special.

Watch the trailer of Mirzapur The Movie here:

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Manisha Karki

Manisha has established a reputation for insightful and engaging storytelling with over six years of expertise in the industry. With a deep passion for cinema, she brings a unique perspective to her coverage, making it a trusted voice in the entertainment world.