Mirzapur Season 3: It is a necessary but a delayed pause in the bloody revenge battle of Mirzapur!

In 2018, when Mirzapur came out, it became a path-breaking series that brought in the craze of OTT and long-format storytelling in pop culture with breakout future star actors. I could almost say it was the right show at the right time to come out! Season two continued with its legacy in 2020 and, without losing sight, brought in a huge level of satisfaction, which could also be said for season three! But while this season maintains the graphic violent heritage of Mirzapur and original storytelling of inherited revenge that cater to the show's larger arc, its timing couldn't be more off. After all, waiting for so long for a new season can make an inevitable pause seem like a boring halt. 

The world might have gone and come out of a pandemic, but in these three years, Mirzapur stood still. The third season picks up from exactly where we left off. Guddu Bhaiya (Ali Fazal) and Golu (Shweta Tripathi) entered the Tripathi house with Beena (Rasika Duggal), while Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi) is still recovering under the protection of Sharad Shukla (Anjum Sharma) and Chote Tyagi (Vijay Verma). We see new alliances forming and understand the politics of the entire nexus of Purvanchal, which involves various locations together in the Pradesh. It's like the world is being re-introduced to you, only this time, since Guddu and Golu are now insiders rather than outsiders, the focus is to go deeper to understand what drives it and how mind games are played in it. The series seems to be going wider and beyond Mirzapur only to return home and to its central characters in the end.

Also Read: Let's rewind and recap Mirzapur before the new season hits!

Within the 10 episodes, a lot happens, but it somehow feels like nothing is happening. It's because, in contrast to the last two seasons, which were a lot more action-based, this season is more focused on the much-needed contemplation, development and internal journey of the characters. After all, life is not just about what you do but how you deal with its consequences as well! Guddu struggles with his bloodlust, while Golu wrestles with her being a woman in this patriarchally dominant business, and together, they struggle with how to retain sitting on the gaddi. Similarly, Kaleen Bhaiya deals with his befall and loss of Munna as Sharad grapples with who he is and what he has to do while he connects with formidable CM Madhuri (Isha Talwar), who also has her own battles to fight. Beena struggles with her being constantly dependent on other people, Shatrughan (Chote) struggles with his identity as his brother Bharat (Bade), and Ramakanth (Guddu's father) comes to terms with his loss of faith in his moralistic ways in jail. Each arc echoes for a spin-off of its own but finds enough time to be explored! 

This entire season can be consolidated as being about mind vs heart, the burden of legacy vs. the freedom of choice, where Mirzapur, with its lawless universe, will always breed cyclic feuds and violence. And then, to the season's credit, it makes this psychological battle an addictive watch with its usual style of gory violence, unforeseen shocking deaths, extremely colourful language, kidnapping, smuggling, and the gruesome crime that we all fell in love with. Though you miss Munna Bhaiya and the others but, the commitment of each actor to their character is unbelievable. It almost makes me want to ask how they are after doing this because the madness of Ali Fazal, the confidence of wide-eyed Shweta Tripathi, the troubled Vijay Verma, the cunningness of Rasika Duggal, the unreadable blankness of Isha Talwar, the maturity of Anjum Sharma, the charm of Pankaj Tripathi and many others makes you firmly believe that they are not actors playing a role but the characters! 

I applaud the makers for being brave about staying true to their show and choosing to stand on the tall legacy of the show to tell a deep-seated original tale rather than give in to the cliches and whims of instant gratification. Ultimately making this slow-burn season a fight for the survival of a patient long-form narrative amidst the fast-paced wheel-churning content! And to that accord, I am glad for Mirzapur season three. But I wish this season could have come sooner because waiting for three years is already long enough to serve us with many more years of waiting for the final showdown. Nevertheless, this mind game of the throne of the narcotic land of Mirzapur proves why its popularity is still unmatched! 

Mirzapur season 3 is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and I highly recommend you not binge-watch but take your time with it. Don't miss out on the literal GoT and Narcos references and the post-credit scene! 

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