Mardaani 3 New Release Date: YRF Prepones Rani Mukerji's Film; Drop First Poster Teasing Intriguing Plot

Production house Yash Raj Films (YRF) on Saturday said the third installment in the action thriller "Mardaani" franchise, fronted by Rani Mukerji, is set to release in theatres on January 30. Directed by Abhiraj Minawala and produced by Aditya Chopra, the film was previously scheduled to release on February 27.

The film will have Mukerji reprise her role of a cop Shivani Shivaji Roy. Production banner shared the news with a post on its X handle. It featured the film's poster. The poster featured the actor at the center with children standing behind her and "missing" tags written above them. "She won't stop, until she rescues them all! #RaniMukerji is back as the fearless cop Shivani Shivaji Roy in #Mardaani3. Rescue begins in cinemas near you on 30th Jan," read the caption.

The first film of the franchise released in 2014, followed by another film in 2019.

Mardaani 3 franchise legacy and Rani Mukerji’s description

Mardaani has grown over a decade into what is widely regarded as Hindi cinema’s biggest solo female-led franchise, and also the only all-India series anchored around a woman police officer. Fans and critics have consistently praised the films, giving the franchise long-term cult standing.

Rani Mukerji had earlier revealed that the edge-of-the-seat thriller is going to be 'dark, deadly and brutal' and it had immediately piqued curiosity amongst netizens, the fans of the star and the franchise. This statement set expectations that Mardaani 3 would push the crime narrative into even grimmer territory.

Mardaani 3 plot themes, creative team and first poster

Mardaani 3 is directed by Abhiraj Minawala and produced by Aditya Chopra for Yash Raj Films. The first movie highlighted human trafficking networks, while Mardaani 2 focused on a psychotic serial rapist who taunted the authorities. The new story again tackles a harsh social reality through an issue-driven thriller format.

The makers state that Mardaani 3 will show Shivani confronting a bloody, violent world where vulnerable girls disappear without trace. Yash Raj Films has also released the first poster, shared through an Instagram post which introduces the tone of danger and urgency surrounding Shivani’s latest mission.

With a confirmed January 30, 2026 release, Mardaani 3 extends the franchise’s focus on gendered crime and systemic failure, while keeping Shivani Shivaji Roy at the centre of the investigation. The film aims to deepen the series’ standing as a long-running, issue-focused Hindi crime franchise.

(With inputs from PTI)