The Women Of Mirzapur: Season 3 Gives Them Short Shrift. That's A Pity |
At every juncture, the female characters of Mirzapur — from Golu to Madhuri to Beena Bhabhi, each more promising and deliciously complex than the other — are flatlined to suit the narrative of the male characters, writes Swetha Ramakrishnan |
THE WOMEN OF Mirzapur deserve a better show. Through the 10 painstakingly long episodes of its third season, this niggling critique could not be silenced. Even though there’s a lot that unfolds throughout the series — from a nail-biting battle for the throne of Mirzapur, to the thrilling interplay of power, violence and crime — something always seemed missing. I can’t put a finger on it. Is it the absence of Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi) and Munna (Divyendu)? Is it the humdrum of a series that buckles under the pressure of its own legacy? Is it the lack of originality in a show that pioneered a new genre and tone in Indian entertainment with its first season? I kept trying to fix the fragmented pieces of this season as an audience member, by wondering at several points: what if the story shifted its focus to the women? Stream the latest movies and shows with OTTplay Premium's Jhakaas monthly pack, for only Rs 249. As it stands, Season 3 focuses on the trials and tribulations of three main characters, all vying for the Mirzapur throne. There’s Golu (Shweta Tripathi) and Guddu (Ali Fazal), unlikely partners whose main revenge is with the Tripathis. Their drive to take over the Mirzapur throne diminishes slightly this season, as they start to see the cracks in chasing power. Golu is rough and savage, putting on a show of strength for Guddu, but secretly she loves poetry and the softer pleasures of life; even as she lifts 20 kg dumbbells, you know her mind is somewhere else. Guddu has been “Macbeth-ised”; as he tells Madhuri Yadav in a later episode, he carries the weight of all the people. He’s a ghost of himself, only sporadically spilling out his swagger, and relying too much on brute force to show dominance. You can’t help but wonder if Golu is better suited to run Mirzapur, and by the middle of the show you’re rooting for her.
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Then there’s Sharad, the king of Jaunpur and Golu-Guddu’s nemesis. He smartly saved Kaleen Bhaiyaa from being killed in the climax of Season 2, and patiently tends to him medically, with the hope that Kaleen will return the favour and support him when the time comes. A slimy, silent antagonist, Anjumm Sharma plays Sharad with a muted approach that works beautifully as a foil to Madhuri (Isha Talwar). Madhuri is an accidental heir to the political throne of the Purvanchal and has to battle many bureaucratic monsters in order to be taken seriously. Her determination to create a “bhay-mukht pradesh” (crime-free UP) is palpable, as she’s lost her entire family to this vicious cycle of revenge. She packs quite a punch in her beige, off-white sarees and stoic namastes; even as Talwar seems to be playing the character half-heartedly, the writing emerges as superior.
And finally, there are the Tripathis: Kaleen (who spends most of the season bedridden and recovering) and Beena Bhabhi (a lovely Rasika Dugal who has criminally little screen time). Beena swiftly changes her demeanour depending on whose company she keeps, making sure to keep the “victim” card handy. She switches between seasoned mastermind and convenient bechari with ease, almost like a game of charades. On the one hand, she cosies up to Madhuri to help her, woman to woman, and on the other, she guides Guddu and Golu on the murky affairs of Mirzapur. There’s just no reason we didn’t get more of Beena Bhabhi this season. She fits into all the universes that are patiently unravelling, and could have been the glue that holds them together. |
At every juncture of the story, the female characters of Mirzapur — from Golu to Madhuri to Beena Bhabhi, each more promising and deliciously complex than the other — are flatlined to suit the narrative of the male characters. This is not a competition, I’m aware, and the format of an episodic series should ideally give the characters and the story arcs room to breathe. But ultimately, Mirzapur Season 3 amounts to a whole lot of nothing in giving the spotlight to their rich female characters, thus letting the stagnant male characters take precedence. Eventually, each arc, twist, and even the climax, becomes predictable.
This season is playing catch up. There are punchy one liners, and some interesting slow burn scenes, but overall the entire instalment feels forced. There’s no real story unfolding, just a bunch of incoherent sub plots that seem like someone lazily threw them together. However, it’s important to note that despite the hiccoughs, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the screen. This season isn’t exactly bingeable, but it’s not dismissable, either. The meat for Season 4 has been laid out. Who knows, it may actually be better than its predecessor? One can only hope. |
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