MaverickNews30.com Rating: 3.5/5
Movie: Mirzapur: The Movie
Release Date: September 4, 2026
Cast: Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyendu Sharma, Abhishek Banerjee, Ravi Kishan and others
Director: Gurmmeet Singh
Producers: Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar
Music: John Stewart Eduri
Cinematography: Sanjay Kapoor
Editing: Manan Ashwin Mehta
There is always a danger when a hugely successful streaming series makes the jump to the big screen. What works brilliantly in episodic storytelling can feel stretched, repetitive or unnecessarily loud when converted into a feature film. Mirzapur: The Movie, however, understands the assignment. It does not attempt to reinvent the world that made the franchise popular; instead, it enlarges it, adds theatrical scale and gives its characters enough firepower to create the kind of whistles, cheers and reactions that the cinema hall demands.
The result is an entertaining gangster drama that may not be flawless, but delivers enough attitude, action, humour and star power to justify its theatrical outing.
The Mirzapur universe, now bigger
At the centre of the story is Akhandanand Tripathi, better known as Kaleen Bhaiyya, played with remarkable restraint by Pankaj Tripathi. He remains the powerful figure at the heart of Mirzapur, while the battle for control becomes increasingly complicated by family tensions, shifting loyalties and dangerous enemies.
Munna Bhaiyya, played by Divyendu Sharma, continues to be one of the most entertaining personalities in this universe. His aggression, swagger and unpredictable behaviour remain intact. Guddu Pandit, portrayed by Ali Fazal, brings the physical intensity required for a big-screen action drama, while Babban Yadav, played by Ravi Kishan, emerges as a formidable threat.
The basic conflict revolves around power, loyalty and betrayal, but the film wisely does not make everything about guns and gang wars. Emotional confrontations and moments of humour are woven into the narrative, giving the proceedings some breathing space.
What works spectacularly
The biggest success of Mirzapur: The Movie is its understanding of its audience.
This is not a film trying to apologise for being loud or massy. It embraces the identity of the franchise and delivers several sequences designed specifically for theatrical reactions. The confrontations are among the strongest portions, with the pre-climax and climax providing the kind of high-energy moments fans will likely remember.
The dialogues continue to be one of the franchise's biggest weapons. The humour is also effectively distributed throughout the film, preventing the gangster drama from becoming relentlessly grim.
The action receives a significant upgrade. Face-offs, chase sequences and large-scale confrontations benefit from the cinematic treatment, with the car-race sequence standing out as one of the more enjoyable stretches.
And then there are the post-credit scenes. The film has a couple of them, with the final one particularly effective because it combines humour with a teasing sense of what could lie ahead.
Performances keep the engine running
Pankaj Tripathi remains the anchor. As Kaleen Bhaiyya, he doesn't need to raise his voice to command attention. His controlled performance gives the character an imposing presence.
Ali Fazal gets considerably more opportunity to showcase his physicality, particularly during the action sequences, and he handles those portions convincingly.
But Divyendu once again steals several scenes as Munna Bhaiyya. The character's attitude, comic timing, aggression and distinctive style make his appearances among the film's most crowd-pleasing moments.
Jitendra Kumar, stepping into the role of Bablu Pandit, delivers a competent performance. Ravi Kishan brings menace and intensity to Babban Yadav and makes for an effective antagonist.
Abhishek Banerjee, Shaji Choudhary, Sheeba Chaddha and Rasika Dugal provide dependable support, while Satendra Soni as Puncture Chandu adds some welcome comic relief. Sonal Chauhan adds the glamour quotient.
Where the film loses momentum
The film isn't without its weaknesses. The opening stretch takes time to settle, and portions of the first half move at a slower pace than expected. Considering the amount of material and the franchise's established world, the editing could have been tighter.
The more noticeable problem, however, is the treatment of its female characters.
Shriya Pilgaonkar, Shweta Tripathi and Harshita Gaur have limited scope compared with their counterparts. Their characters are largely pushed into the background, and the film could have benefited from giving them stronger arcs and more meaningful involvement in the central conflict.
This is particularly noticeable because the series had previously demonstrated that women could have substantial roles within the Mirzapur universe.
The technical jump
Visually, the film feels considerably more cinematic than a conventional OTT production. Sanjay Kapoor's cinematography gives the world greater scale, while the production design and action choreography contribute to the theatrical experience.
John Stewart Eduri's background score deserves special mention. The music does not merely accompany the action; it frequently amplifies it. Several confrontations gain additional impact because of the energetic score.
The songs are decent, although the background music remains the stronger musical component.
The Telugu dubbing is also impressive, with the familiar voices helping retain the identity of the characters for audiences watching the dubbed version.
The weakest technical link is the editing. A sharper first half could have made the overall experience considerably more engaging.
The verdict
Mirzapur: The Movie is not a radical reinvention of the franchise, and perhaps it doesn't need to be. Its biggest achievement is understanding what fans expect from Mirzapur and translating those elements into a theatrical format without losing the show's personality.
The film delivers powerful performances, memorable dialogues, humour, aggressive action and a highly entertaining second half. Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal and Divyendu Sharma lead the way, while Ravi Kishan adds the required menace.
Yes, the opening portions are slow. Yes, the editing could be tighter. And yes, the female characters deserved substantially more space.
But once the film finds its rhythm, it becomes a crowd-oriented entertainer designed for the big screen. Fans of the franchise are likely to have the most fun, while newcomers may find the character dynamics and established universe somewhat demanding.
For its theatrical scale, performances and whistle-worthy moments, Mirzapur: The Movie manages to turn a familiar OTT world into a reasonably satisfying cinematic spectacle.
Disclaimer: This review is based on the reviewer’s individual perspective. Audience opinions may vary.
