For all Rani Mukerji fans, we have some amazing news. The actress is all set to reprise her iconic role as Shivani Shivaji Roy. The Mardaani franchise is gearing up for its third instalment. Drumroll, please… Mardaani 3 will hit the big screens in 2026. To make the exciting announcement, Yash Raj Films, the production house behind the franchise, shared a poster on Instagram. It features the film's title along with the names of director Abhiraj Minawala and producer Aditya Chopra. “The wait is over! Rani Mukerji is back as the fierce Shivani Shivaji Roy in Mardaani3. In cinemas 2026,” read the text attached to the post.
As per Rani Mukerji, Mardaani 3 will be “dark, deadly and brutal.” The actress shared that the shooting for the film will begin in April 2025. “I'm thrilled to announce that we are starting the shooting of ‘Mardaani 3‘ in April 2025. I'm proud to essay the character of this feisty cop again in ‘Mardaani 3' as a tribute to all the unsung, brave, self-sacrificing cops who work tirelessly every single day to keep us safe,” Rani said in a statement, as quoted by Variety.
The Mardaani series kicked off in 2014 with the release of its first instalment. Directed by Pradeep Sarkar, the film featured Rani Mukerji in the lead role, alongside Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jisshu Sengupta and Anant Vidhaat Sharma in pivotal roles. The film garnered several accolades, including Best Sound Design at the Filmfare Awards, Best Villain (won by Tahir Raj Bhasin) at the Screen Awards and Best Thriller – Action Actress (won by Rani Mukerji) at the Stardust Awards.
The second instalment, Mardaani 2, was released in 2019. Written and directed by Gopi Puthran, the film saw Rani Mukerji return as Shivani Shivaji Roy, with Vishal Jethwa, Shruti Bapna, Vikram Singh Chauhan and Rajesh Sharma playing significant roles. The plot focused on Shivani's attempt to catch a rapist and murderer.