Mardaani 3 Gets an Earlier Release Date; Rani Mukerji Returns as the Fearless Cop on January 30

Mardaani 3, the third instalment in Rani Mukerji’s acclaimed female-cop franchise, is set to hit theatres earlier than expected. The makers announced on Saturday evening that the film will now release on January 30, advancing its arrival by nearly a month.

Produced by Yash Raj Films and directed by debutant Abhiraj Minawala, the film marks Rani Mukerji’s return as the relentless police officer at the heart of the franchise. Along with the release date announcement, the banner unveiled a striking new poster that features an intense Rani staring straight into the camera, while a group of young girls—symbolising unresolved missing cases—stand ominously in the background.

The Mardaani franchise began in 2014 with Pradeep Sarkar’s Mardaani, followed by Mardaani 2 in 2019, directed by Gopi Puthran. Both films found box office success and were noted for their strong antagonists, introducing talents like Tahir Raj Bhasin and Vishal Jethwa to wider audiences.

While details about the rest of the cast remain under wraps, Mardaani 3 boasts a solid technical team. Artur Zurawski serves as the cinematographer, Yasha Jaidev Ramchandani handles editing, and Kailash Sahu is the production designer. The screenplay and dialogues are written by Aayush Gupta, who has also co-written the story along with Deepak Kingrani and Baljeet Singh Marwah.

Director Abhiraj Minawala brings over 15 years of experience as an assistant director, having worked on major YRF projects such as Rocket Singh, Band Baaja Baaraat, Fan, Tiger 3, and War 2. Rani Mukerji was last seen in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway (2023), a performance that received widespread appreciation.

Meanwhile, Yash Raj Films also has other big projects in the pipeline, including Alpha, starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh, which is reportedly seeing a slight shift in its release timeline.