Mirzapur: The Movie – Bhaukaal, Now In 70mm Ambition

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Kaleen Bhaiya rules Mirzapur, and his influence reaches state and national politics. So who rules the cinema hall? Sadly, the clock.

Gurmmeet Singh directs, from a screenplay by Puneet Krishna. The film runs 3 hours and 17 minutes. Even gangsters need an interval from the plot.

The story? A suspected drug deal between Kaleen and Babban, the rising Pandit brothers, and tension between Kaleen and his son Munna. The action hops between Mirzapur and Jaisalmer. The same old throne, with a desert backdrop.

Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi) is still the calm that frightens. He is as menacing as in the earlier seasons. One raised eyebrow does more damage than ten bullets.

Guddu Pandit (Ali Fazal) carries the film's weight, and his strained bond with his father (Rajesh Tailang) gives it heart. Munna (Divyenndu) walks back in and draws the biggest cheers. Was there ever any doubt?

Babban Babua (Ravi Kishan) is the fresh menace. Babloo (Jitendra Kumar) takes over from Vikrant Massey, and Mumtaz (Sonal Chauhan) brings the Jaisalmer glamour. Birju (Mohit Malik) arrives with a second-half backstory, and Compounder (Abhishek Banerjee) adds his quirky charm.

The strongest pairing is Guddu and Munna. When they share a frame, you remember why the series became a phenomenon.

John Stewart Eduri's background score deserves its own applause. The Mirzapur theme returns at the right moments, and it still raises goosebumps.

Now the cracks. Violence and sex are toned down, so the series' bite and menace feel diluted. Mirzapur without its rawness is like chai without ginger. Still chai, just not that chai.

Women are underused, especially Golu and Beena, played by Shweta Tripathi Sharma and Rasika Dugal. There are continuity errors too, notably in a key scene between Kaleen and Beena. On a canvas this large, such slips are hard to excuse.

The film does have a classic masala skeleton: a hero, a villain, songs, humour and a clear storyline. Every character has a motive, so the violence is never just noise.

Produced by Excel Entertainment's Farhan Akhtar and Amazon MGM Studios, this is fan service on an expensive scale. It celebrates the franchise more than it extends it.

Go for Kaleen's calm, Guddu's burden and Munna's madness. Just carry some patience along with your popcorn.

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