Fearless police officer Shivani Shivaji Roy, played by actress Rani Mukerji, returns to bust a human trafficking racket in Mardaani 3 trailer dropped by YRF Monday.
The internet, however, was quick to draw parallels between the plot of the upcoming film and Netflix show Delhi Crime starring Shefali Shah as DIG Vartika Chaturvedi.
The three-minute-16-second trailer follows the story of Shivani who is appointed by the NIA to find the girls who went missing over a span of three months.
Much to her shock, Shivani learns about Amma (Mallika Prasad), who spearheads the trafficking racket.
The trailer showcases Shivani Shivaji Roy’s indomitable courage, as she rallies her team and plunges into massive, high‑stakes action.
The upcoming film is directed by Abhiraj Minawala and produced by Aditya Chopra.
“Each rescue comes at a cost that she is ready to pay. Shivani Shivaji Roy is determined to find the missing girls,” the maker YRF wrote on Instagram alongside the trailer.
Several internet users noted that the film’s premise bears a striking resemblance to Netflix’s crime drama Delhi Crime Season 3. “This is Delhi Crime Season 3 in 70 mm,” an Instagram user commented under the post. While another comment read, “We have already seen Delhi Crime Season 3.”
“Same old story, already seen in webseries,” wrote another Instagram user.
Netflix drama Delhi Crime Season 3 follows the story of DCP Vartika Chaturvedi (Shah) and her team, who investigate a disturbing case that begins with an abandoned baby and soon uncover a human trafficking ring with far-reaching consequences.
The trail leads them to Meena (Qureshi), also known as Badi Didi, the menacing villain who controls the trafficking racket.
Mardaani, which came out in 2014, emerged as a sleeper hit, with its sequel hitting theatres five years later. The first film amassed approximately Rs 31.4 crore at the domestic box office, as per industry data-tracking platform Sacnilk. The second film, on the other hand, earned Rs 47.35 crore nett domestically.
Mardaani follows Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani), a fearless Mumbai cop who confronts a ruthless child trafficking syndicate in Delhi. As she delves deeper, she faces escalating threats and personal danger.
Tahir Raj Bhasin and Vishal Jethwa played the roles of villains in the first two films.
While Jisshu Sengupta, Priyanka Sharma, Mikhail Yawalkar and Anil George also starred in the first film, Mardaani 2 featured Vikram Singh Chauhan, Avneet Kaur and Anchal Sahu in key roles.
Rani was last seen in Ashima Chibber’s Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway alongside Anirban Bhattacharya, Neena Gupta and Jim Sarbh. Her performance in the film earned her the National Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in August, 2025.
Mardaani 3 is set to hit theatres on January 30.
