In episode 6, it’s all about giving in to the dark side.
Akhil Arora, a member of the Film Critics Guild and a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic, who has watched all 10 episodes of Mirzapur season 3. He has been reviewing TV series since 2015 and has written for NDTV and SlashFilm.
The sixth episode of Mirzapur season 3—directed by Anand Iyer and written by Avinash Singh Tomar—is all about people giving in to the dark side. With no Golu to stop him, Guddu (Ali Fazal), who’s using again, is unhinged and off the hook. Episode 6 also reveals Golu’s (Shweta Tripathi Sharma) fate. Chhote/Fake Badde (Vijay Varma) is keeping her locked in a basement and plans to torture her. I’m not sure what he learnt from what Robin said to him about love. The former escort Zarina (Anangsha Biswas)—making her first appearance in season 3—is sent back to the hellhole she crawled out of. Unlike the others, she’s forced into it. And the biggest of all, the poet Raheem (Pallav Singh)—introduced in season 3—commits murder, with Sharad Shukla (Anjumm Shharma) making good on his threat.
Mirzapur season 3 episode 6 starts in Badlapur and Chunar, with Guddu and Sharad’s people attacking each other. In response, Guddu himself goes after Sharad’s enforcer at the brothel he frequents. He forces him to drink an entire bottle of alcohol and then shoots him—possibly by accident.
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Then, it’s onto Basti in episode 6, where Guddu goes after another one of Sharad’s men, Kripa (Karan Desai). Kripa wants Guddu to let his family go—Guddu says he will kill one of the three. The brave wife (Jyoti Lal) takes the lead and says her husband should take the fall. After all, Guddu has a grudge against him. Kripa pleads for his life, but Guddu shoots him. He then calls Kripa’s boy (Aarav Shukla) over and tells him his father was a coward. This leads to a rare instance of meta-humour in Mirzapur season 3. After Guddu asks the boy’s name, he replies, “Munna.” Guddu seemingly rolls his eyes and then tells him to get it changed.
At the Shukla manor in Mirzapur season 3 episode 6, Sharad thinks he should reply to Guddu’s violence. Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi) feels Guddu is like Bhasmasur, the Hindu mythology demon whose recklessness led to his own end. (“Bhasmasur” is also the title of episode 6.) Guddu’s chaos will benefit Sharad ultimately, he adds: “It’s not the one who can inflict violence who deserves the throne but the one who can put an end to the violence.” Sharad wonders how he can claim the throne with Kaleen Bhaiya around. The Tripathi patriarch has given up on the seat, he reveals. He wanted Munna—his dead son—to inherit it and now he’ll back Sharad. Saving Kaleen Bhaiya seems to be paying off for the Shuklas.
Meanwhile, in episode 6, the mediator Munnawar (Ayaz Khan) calls Guddu and tells him to calm down on the violence. All of Purvanchal is paying for it. Guddu tells him to get lost. Golu is a personal matter, so he won’t stop until she’s found. Guddu is seemingly still peeved off by Sharad’s remarks (from two episodes ago) because he’s now promoting people in his organisation who have less education than others. Another sign of the empire’s ruin.
Cut to the Rapti river in Nepal in Mirzapur season 3 episode 6, as a boat sets off with the opium towards Mirzapur. On the Indian side near Gorakhpur, the police led by corrupt cop Pyarelal Joshi (Vijay Kumar) intercept the boat. Turns out, there are no drugs on the boat. I’m guessing Joshi is involved.
In Ballia in episode 6, Shabnam (Shernavaz Jijina) tells Guddu as much. She’s annoyed that Guddu screwed up again especially when she promised her dad that he wouldn’t. Guddu isn’t pleased—he feels Lala only sees profit and doesn’t care about anything else. Shabhnam says she vouched for him because she felt she mattered to him. But now, he’s put everything at risk. “And for what, Golu?” Guddu doesn’t take kindly to her tone. He says he’ll do it again and again for Golu. Shabnam came to him in need; she could’ve gone to Jaunpur, too. Clearly, Shabnam’s bet on being safer with Guddu over Sharad has failed. That proves true seconds later, as Guddu grabs Shabnam, pushes her, and tells her to get lost. All in front of her daughter Lippi (Kiara Sadh). If you needed another sign of Guddu’s descent into madness, this is it.
The next morning at the Tripathi manor in Mirzapur season 3 episode 6, Beena Tripathi (Rasika Dugal) again tries to cosy up to Guddu. She says she can help lighten his load, but it doesn’t seem like he wants her.
Over in Jaunpur in episode 6, Sharad’s money man and opium expert Chaddha (Danish Merchant) tells him that Guddu’s new product is far superior to what they are offering. Sharad wants him to ensure it’s not sold in their territory. Chaddha notes that considering how much money they’ve borrowed, they will need control of the entire Purvanchal.
In jail, in Mirzapur season 3 episode 6, Ramakant (Rajesh Tailang) has made friends with the poet, Raheem. He doesn’t have the money for a lawyer to fight his case and was wondering if he could do it himself. Ramakant takes a further liking to Raheem when he notes that he once wanted to be an IAS officer. Rauf Lala (Anil George) comes to see Ramakant and says he knows he’s been filing appeals on behalf of many prisoners. Lala asks him to write one for him, too. When Ramakant protests, he appeals to his “law is equal for everyone” side. Ramakant agrees but only if Lala pens an extended confession and becomes a state’s witness.
In Lucknow in episode 6, suspended IG Vishudhanand Dubey (Manu Rishi Chadha) provides a list of corrupt police officers to the Chief Minister. (Pyarelal Joshi is top of the list.) CM Madhuri Yadav (Isha Talwar) wants to break the nexus between the cops and the gangsters. And to that end, she decides to go around the Home Minister. She uses the list Dubey provided to cause upheaval across the state’s police force. Home Minister Solanki (Gyan Prakash) arrives fuming at a cabinet meeting. “If you’re going to pass orders of my ministry without my approval, why do you need me?” Solanki wonders. Madhuri says she doesn’t need him and he’s free to resign. Solanki once again invokes his experience and that the people of the state have picked him over and over. Madhuri reprimands him, for she knows all he does is line others’ pockets.
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The Pandits, the Tripathis, and all the other major clans return for the third season of Mirzapur. It’s time for a refresher.
In between that, Mirzapur season 3 episode 6 also gives us a scene with Golu’s father Parshuram Gupta (Shahnawaz Pradhan) in Lucknow. He’s been trying to get her phone traced but the station in-charge, Mihir Solanki, tells him that Golu is an enemy of the state. No one’s going to help him find her.
There’s a short scene in episode 6 at the Tripathi manor too where Beena is creating a cat trap. The house help Radhiya (Prashansa Sharma) approaches her, wearing Golu’s t-shirt and trousers. She’s excited because they are a novelty for her—she’s never had the privilege of trying on what’s considered Western clothing—but Beena waves her off. I see her empowerment journey continues in what is the most minor subplot in Mirzapur season 3.
An episode and a half later, we finally learn what Fake Badde has been doing with Golu in Mirzapur season 3 episode 6. He’s keeping her as a prisoner in a basement somewhere in Bihar. Golu wonders why he hasn’t killed her— she doesn’t know he’s Chhote, of course. In response, he tortures her by pressing into her wound. It builds on Chhote’s increasing twistedness. They are interrupted by a phone call from his not-wife Saloni. As he speaks to her, Golu starts smiling to herself. She then grabs a handful of the food he brought her and teases him about it. “Do you also not like it, like your little brother?” Am I reading too much into it or has Golu already figured out that he’s passing as Badde?
In Lucknow in episode 6, Madhuri’s actions against the Home Minister come back to bite her. The truth of her first husband, Roshan Singh’s, alcoholism and death by suicide is leaked on the news. Madhuri’s father, the previous Chief Minister, used Roshan’s death to generate sympathy votes for his party. The opposition leader, Kushwaha (Shashi Bhushan), says he’s going to call for a CBI inquiry into the matter. In response, Madhuri tells her personal assistant Anand (Rohit Tiwari) to call Zarina. It’s time she was promoted.
What is Zarina up to? She’s been touring the state to push Madhuri’s women empowerment agenda. But naturally, the people want her to be her old self: a belly dancer. In Mirzapur season 3 episode 6, she gives in as long as 100 women from the village she’s in register for the government scheme. Zarina feels she has called their bluff but soon a horde of women show up. She then delivers a dance performance as promised but it’s interrupted by a call from Chief Minister Madhuri.
Back in Lucknow in episode 6, Zarina walks into Madhuri’s office and labels herself the CM’s biggest fan. Madhuri notes that her uncle—referring to J.P. Yadav, the money man behind her father—too was a big fan of Zarina’s. She’s hinting at the relations between Zarina and J.P. Yadav. Zarina’s face suddenly changes, and she says it was out of necessity. Madhuri notes that her father used to say that necessity builds character. Zarina says she has left her past behind but unfortunately for her, that’s exactly what Madhuri wants from her. She wants Zarina to draw out J.P. Yadav. And if Zarina does it, she will get a permanent position in Lucknow.
Mirzapur season 3 episode 6 then takes us to Varanasi as the opposition minister Kushwaha goes to see J.P. Yadav (Pramod Pathak). Kushwaha notes that the video they leaked on the news has caused havoc and uproar amongst the elected representatives of Uttar Pradesh. Yadav wants to know how many of them are siding with him. Not many, it turns out, because of Zarina apparently.
Episode 6 ends at the Purvanchal jail as Vasudha (Sheeba Chaddha), Dimpy (Harshita Shekhar Gaur), and Robin (Priyanshu Painyuli) go to see Ramakant in jail. With them are two dozen relatives of inmates who are being bailed out thanks to Ramakant’s actions. At the jail, they are told to wait because a prisoner’s celebration is on. After a dance and a rousing song, it’s time for Raheem to do his thing. When he gets off the stage, Lala—who it seems might be ready to hand Ramakant his confession—personally congratulates him.
Raheem uses that opportunity to stab him to death. All the other inmates—including Ramakant—are left stunned. As Raheem falls to his knees and surrenders to the cops, his face is entirely devoid of any emotion. Ramakant shakes his head at Raheem. You can tell he is fully disillusioned. Ramakant thought he was making a difference in jail, but this act of violence destroyed that belief.
Mirzapur season 3 episode 6 is out now on Prime Video.
Stray observations in Mirzapur season 3 episode 6
- Episode 6 offers up two more scenes where it’s too dark to see anything. That includes the scene with Guddu and Shabnam in Balia, as well as the basement scene with Golu and Chhote.
- J.P. Yadav has taken a new lover who he calls Gungun (Vivek Doshi). To everyone else, he’s Mridul. What’s his speciality? He doesn’t say “no”. That’s disturbing.
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