Mirzapur 2 Review: Shines Bright in Regards to the Characters & Performances!

The second chapter of the much-awaited Amazon Prime Video Original, Mirzapur 2, had every aspect going in its favor, from the well-deserved hype to the terrific talent involved and a great response to its first season. Written by Puneet Krishna and Vineet Krishna, directed by Mihir Desai and Gurmmeet Singh, the second season stars the returning cast – Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Divyenndu, Shweta Tripathi Sharma in primary roles. With Rasika Dugal, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Harshita Shekar Gaur, and Rajesh Tailang as the supporting cast.

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Mirzapur 2 begins where the first season ended with the aftermath of the massive wedding ceremony shootout between Munna Tripathi and the Pandit family. With everyone involved recovering from their injuries and returning to their senses, the primary narrative of the season kicks off with Guddu and Munna, playing their own game of chess and planning their moves to seize the throne of Mirzapur. Subsequently, the remainder of the storyline showcases who came out on top and their journey to get to the summit.

One of the primary elements that work in support of Mirzapur 2 is its well-written characters. The principal ones, in particular, beginning with Munna Tripathi, played by Divyenndu. In contrary to what we’ve seen in the first season, he presents himself as a more composed, patient individual this time despite a few mishaps here and there. His relationship with his lady love displayed a more humane side to his character that is unlike anything we’ve seen from him before.

On the other side, Gajagamini Gupta, played by Shweta Tripathi Sharma, also witnesses a very extensive character arc that involves her transforming from an intellectual college-going girl to a fearless, calculated gangster, who resembles more of Bablu and his way of thinking.

Furthermore, Guddu, who takes time to heal from his injuries, displays more of the broken side of his character rather than the unstudied, no-nonsense type. Coming off the deaths of his loving wife and his unborn child, the writers explored more of his emotional side, a wounded shark waiting for his chance to strike at the right time. Back to the dark side, the writers also explored the rise and fall of Kaleen Bhaiya exceptionally as his empire slowly slips through his fingers one way or the other.

Additionally, there are a ton of surprises to the fold who impress through and through. Especially Beena, who outlines her revenge against the elder Tripathi, Sharad, playing a long game, Ramakant Pandit and RS Maurya, taking the proper legal route, and many others who I do not want to spoil and give away the surprise.

As far as storytelling goes, with the addition of all the new characters, the storyline in the second season is not as definite compared to the previous one and ties up multiple things together inside and out. The main intention that is to become the King of Mirzapur, we, as a viewer, get to witness the leaders of both sides planning carefully and have a simple advantage and the players within these groups also playing their own game of chess that fulfills their grudge.

Consequently, similar to Inside Edge, the story loses its grip and squanders away in the shuffle with multiple things happening at the same time. Moreover, with a ten-hour runtime, the writers also beat around the bush with very minimal progress that resulted in low-intense scenes or the lack of drama that can entice the viewer from start to finish.

However, the final few episodes of Mirzapur 2 supplement the nitty-gritty and urged me to sit straight and concentrate on the narrative that it had to offer. Also, the tone of the entire show is perfectly balanced with the right amount of action and sentiment that we never really beheld in the first season.

Regarding the performances, the standout of the entire show is once again Divyenndu, portraying the careless gangster, stealing the show every time he’s on-screen. Ali Fazal expresses a variety of emotions through his incredible performance from pain, urgency, and grief. His partner-in-crime, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, who is now the boss with a plan, is again remarkable in her role throughout the runtime. Pankaj Tripathi does his usual by subtly portraying every emotion through his expressions, body language, and further confirms why he is the perfect fit playing the role of Kaleen Bhaiya.

The remaining others also do a fantastic job, especially Khulbhushan Kharbanda, who effortlessly portrays his douche bag role impeccably. And Rasika Dugal, who converts from a traditional wife to a calculated mother of a newborn. Anjum Sharma is also another welcome surprise in this season, as I’m excited to see where his character traverses in the upcoming season. Technically, Mirzapur 2 looks flawless as far as the visuals go as Sanjay Kapoor’s impressive camera work maintains that grim vibe of Uttar Pradesh.

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Overall, Mirzapur 2 takes time to settle down, spins the narrative in multiple different directions, and in the process, gets lost in its own shuffle. But, with compelling characters, top-notch performances from the entire cast, and a few good closing episodes, the second season packs in enough drama for you to complete the show on a weekend. Watch ‘Mirzapur 2’ on Amazon Prime Video here.

Rating – 3.25/5 | Grade – B

Images via Amazon Prime Video

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