Mirzapur: The Movie brings Kaleen Bhaiya, Guddu Pandit and Munna Tripathi face-to-face once again. Ravi Kishan’s entry adds a new twist to the battle for power. Here’s our complete review.

NEW DELHI: After establishing itself as one of the biggest names in the OTT space, Mirzapur has now made its way to the big screen. Directed by Gurmeet Singh, Mirzapur: The Movie hit theatres on September 4, 2026. Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal and Divyenndu return to their popular roles, while Ravi Kishan, Jitendra Kumar and Abhishek Banerjee take on important parts in the film.

The film generated strong anticipation before its release, and audiences have already started sharing their first reactions after the first-day-first-show screenings.

What makes the film particularly interesting is that it does not directly continue the story of the Mirzapur web series. Instead, it takes audiences back to the early phase of the story. The makers have set the film between Episodes 6 and 7 of Season 1. This allows viewers to revisit Mirzapur at a time when the power struggle between the Tripathi and Pandit families was moving towards a decisive phase.

What Is Mirzapur: The Movie About?

The film takes audiences back to 2018, when the fight for control over Mirzapur had entered an early but extremely dangerous phase. Kaleen Bhaiya, played by Pankaj Tripathi, continues to hold power, while Munna Tripathi, played by Divyenndu, pursues his ambitions and Guddu Pandit, played by Ali Fazal, steadily builds his own influence.

However, the film does not simply bring back familiar characters for nostalgia. The makers introduce new conflicts and twists that push the story in a different direction. While the film retains the familiar faces, the new developments drive the narrative forward.

This time, a new name, Babban, becomes an important player in the power game. Ravi Kishan plays Babban, a powerful figure in the criminal underworld who sets his sights on the Mirzapur throne. His ambitions turn the power struggle into something bigger than a family feud and introduce a third force into the battle.

This change gives the film an identity of its own. The web series largely built its power struggle around internal conflicts, while Ravi Kishan’s character takes that conflict in a new direction.

A Different Experience From the Web Series

The biggest challenge for Mirzapur: The Movie was to determine whether the franchise could recreate its OTT popularity inside a theatre.

The early reactions suggest a positive start. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh awarded the film four stars and called it a “winner”. According to his review, the film does not feel like an extended episode of the series. Instead, it delivers the experience of a full-fledged theatrical film.

His review particularly praises the story, direction and action. He also credits Gurmeet Singh for maintaining a balance between drama, action, humour and emotions without diluting the core identity of Mirzapur.

Pankaj Tripathi Returns as Kaleen Bhaiya

Kaleen Bhaiya needs no introduction in the world of Mirzapur. Pankaj Tripathi made the character hugely popular with his distinctive performance, and the actor retains the same authority in the film.

From the early portions of the movie, Kaleen Bhaiya remains deeply involved in the game of power and strategy. His performance once again stands out as one of the film’s strengths.

Kaleen Bhaiya’s greatest weapon has always been his ability to control power while remaining calm. The film retains that quality. He does not rely only on guns or violence. Instead, he uses strategy, influence and his position to control the game.

Ali Fazal Keeps the Guddu Pandit Impact Alive

Ali Fazal gave Guddu Pandit an identity of his own in Mirzapur. The character’s journey from an ordinary young man to a serious player in the power game became one of the central elements of the franchise.

For viewers who followed his character from the beginning of the series, Ali Fazal’s return remains one of the film’s biggest attractions.

Guddu’s presence in the film does more than bring back a familiar face. He remains an important part of the power struggle and continues to face new threats as the story unfolds.

Munna Bhaiya’s Return Creates the Biggest Buzz

Divyenndu’s return as Munna Tripathi arguably remains the film’s biggest attraction.

For Mirzapur fans, Munna Bhaiya became a hugely popular character through his dialogues, attitude and larger-than-life personality. His return becomes even more interesting because the filmmakers have set the story during the middle of Season 1.

This timeline allows the makers to bring Munna back into the story at a point when his journey still had another major turn ahead in the series.

However, Munna Bhaiya does not dominate the first hour of the film. His full impact emerges later in the story.

The film therefore uses Munna’s return as more than a nostalgic callback. It uses the character according to the pace and requirements of the story.

Ravi Kishan Emerges as the Film’s New Player

Ravi Kishan’s entry stands out as one of the biggest elements that separates Mirzapur: The Movie from the web series.

The actor plays Babban, an influential figure in the criminal underworld who wants control of the Mirzapur throne. His ambition introduces a third major force into the conflict between the Tripathis and the Pandits.

Ravi Kishan’s presence also strengthens the film’s larger-than-life theatrical appeal.

Babban does not simply function as another antagonist. His character represents the hunger for power that has always formed the foundation of the Mirzapur universe.

Jitendra Kumar Also Plays an Important Role

Jitendra Kumar also joins the film’s cast as Bablu Pandit, a character that Vikrant Massey originally played in the web series.

The casting change could interest audiences because Bablu played an important role in the early stages of the Mirzapur story.

Strong Supporting Cast Adds to the Film

The film brings back more than just its principal characters. Rasika Dugal, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Harshita Gaur, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Sheeba Chaddha, Rajesh Tailang, Pramod Pathak, Mohit Malik, Sonal Chauhan, Abhishek Banerjee and Sushant Singh also appear in the film.

Despite featuring such a large ensemble, the film keeps its focus on the central story and the battle for power.

The makers also hint at an interesting turn involving Rasika Dugal’s character. Early reviews have also responded positively to the performances of Sonal Chauhan and Sheeba Chaddha.

Action Emerges as One of the Film’s Biggest Strengths

Mirzapur has always built its identity around violence, guns, bloodshed and the relentless fight for power. Naturally, audiences expected the film to deliver a strong action experience.

The early reviews identify action as one of the movie’s major strengths. The big-screen format gives the action a larger and sharper impact compared with the web series.

This is where the difference between a theatrical film and an OTT series becomes most visible. The larger screen, stronger sound and collective theatre experience amplify the impact of violent confrontations and action sequences.

Writing and Dialogues Retain the ‘Mirzapur’ Edge

Puneet Krishna has written the film, and early reviews count the writing among its strongest elements.

The screenplay moves through sharp dialogues, punchlines, power struggles, revenge, betrayal and emotions while maintaining the pace of the narrative.

Dialogues played a major role in making Mirzapur a pop-culture phenomenon. The film therefore faced the challenge of retaining the franchise’s signature style while making it feel bigger and more suitable for the theatrical format.

The early reactions suggest that the film manages to strike that balance, with several dialogues having the potential to become talking points among audiences.

Background Score Keeps the Tension Alive

The film keeps the role of songs relatively limited, but its background score has received praise. Taran Adarsh has particularly highlighted its impact.

In a story like Mirzapur, background music does more than accompany the visuals. It creates tension, builds a sense of danger and intensifies the battle for power. The theatrical sound experience naturally gives the score greater impact.

The film also features new music, including songs such as Sajanwa.

Do You Need to Watch the Series Before the Film?

This question matters especially for viewers who have never watched the Mirzapur web series.

Pankaj Tripathi has said that viewers do not need prior knowledge of the series to understand the film. According to him, the makers designed the movie around the collective theatrical experience.

The film works as a standalone prequel of sorts. Since the story takes place between events from Season 1, new viewers can also enter the Mirzapur universe without having watched the entire series.

However, viewers who already know the series will get an added advantage. Their familiarity with the characters, relationships, past events and developments that follow can make the film more rewarding.

What Is the Film’s Biggest Weakness?

Despite the largely positive early reactions, the film does have some shortcomings.

The second half feels slightly slow at points, and the makers could have trimmed certain portions. However, the climax helps the film regain momentum.

This becomes particularly important for a franchise like Mirzapur, where audiences expect a fast pace, constant confrontations and unexpected twists. If the story stretches in the second half, it can affect the overall viewing experience.

A Film That Runs for More Than Three Hours

Mirzapur: The Movie has received an ‘A’ certificate and reportedly runs for around 3 hours and 17 minutes. The film has released in both Hindi and Telugu.

For a movie of this length, the screenplay must maintain a strong pace. The criticism surrounding the slightly stretched second half becomes particularly relevant in this context.

However, if the action, twists and characters manage to keep audiences invested, the film’s long runtime may have only a limited impact on the overall theatrical experience.

How Could the Film Perform at the Box Office?

The film showed encouraging signs through its advance bookings before release. According to reports, Mirzapur: The Movie could open at around ₹25 crore net in India on its first day. Strong word of mouth could push the figure towards ₹30 crore.

The film could also benefit from the Janmashtami holiday on September 4. Although the movie carries an ‘A’ certificate, the strong fan following of the Mirzapur franchise could work in its favour.

However, advance estimates do not always match actual box-office collections. The film’s true commercial position will become clearer after the first weekend.

Verdict

Mirzapur: The Movie understands what audiences expect from the franchise and takes those familiar ingredients to the big screen. Pankaj Tripathi retains Kaleen Bhaiya’s authority, Ali Fazal keeps Guddu Pandit’s intensity intact, and Divyenndu’s return as Munna Bhaiya adds a major dose of nostalgia and entertainment.

Ravi Kishan’s Babban gives the story a new power centre, while the action, dialogues, background score and ensemble cast add to the theatrical experience.

The slightly stretched second half and the film’s 3-hour-17-minute runtime may test some viewers’ patience, but the early response suggests that the film largely delivers the scale, drama and ‘bhaukaal’ that fans expect from Mirzapur.

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