In episode 8, death drives Guddu into irredeemable territory.
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.
In “Raja Beta”, the eighth episode of Mirzapur season 3, Guddu (Ali Fazal) finds himself in a similar place after he lost Sweety in season 1. Except this time, he doesn’t need to hide—he has the power to retaliate. Reeling from Golu’s supposed death, Guddu goes wild. (It’s not just Guddu who’s been lied to. Mirzapur lies to the audience, too. Episode 7 ended with the sound of a gunshot and episode 8 begins with a burnt body, fully implying that Golu is dead. But it turned out to be a red herring.) Usually, Guddu’s father would be the angel on his shoulder. But when he goes to see his broken father, Ramakant (Rajesh Tailang) gives him the worst possible advice. By the end of the episode, as he commits a horrific act, it feels like Guddu’s character has arrived at a point of no return. How will Mirzapur ever redeem him from this?
After dropping off a burnt body at the Jaunpur–Mirzapur border, Chhote/Fake Badde (Vijay Varma) returns home at the start of episode 8. When his not-wife Saloni (Neha Sargam) wakes, he tells her to go back to sleep. She gets clothes for him anyway and discovers that Chhote has an injury on his hand. Is that perhaps from gun recoil? As Saloni treats him, she asks him how it happened. With no word coming from his mouth, she that everyone at home needs him. Saloni adds that she needs him the most. They start kissing and Saloni motions to go down on the man she believes to be her husband. Chhote stops her, lays Saloni on her back, and instead goes down on her. Post-murder cunnilingus? Chhote’s twistedness knows no bounds.
Mirzapur season 3 review: overcrowded and overpowered
Afraid of evolving, the overlong third season of Mirzapur doesn’t know how to best utilise its principal characters, let alone the giant ensemble at its disposal.
Mirzapur season 3 episode 8—directed by Gurmmeet Singh and written by Avinash Singh Tomar—returns to the border as Guddu arrives and shakily inspects the body. The police officer notes that everything matches, be it the clothes, the phone, and even Golu’s car. In hindsight, this is clearly Chhote’s attempt to put an end to Golu’s father’s investigation. Speaking of him, Guddu finds Parshuram Gupta (Shahnawaz Pradhan) nearby, tearily caressing the watch Golu wore. He’s lost both his daughters to the violence Guddu kicked off. Guddu tries to comfort him, but Parshuram says there isn’t anything left to say. He takes out his service revolver and kills himself. Geez, that was gruesome.
In jail in episode 8, Ramakant pays a visit to Raheem (Pallav Singh), the poet who killed Rauf Lala in episode 6. He’s naturally been put in solitary confinement. Ramakant wants to know why he did it. The simple answer? Money. Raheem was suffering outside too—at least now his family will be taken care of. Ramakant essentially wants to know why he gave up on himself. Raheem knows that Ramakant was trying to look for the light in him—a ray of hope. Ramakant was trying to help Raheem because he couldn’t help his son Guddu. Now, he’s lost any hope for humanity.
Cut to a couple of wordless scenes with Guddu in Mirzapur season 3 episode 8, who’s now over the edge in both grief and drugs. At the Tripathi manor, Beena Tripathi (Rasika Dugal) can tell from a distance that he’s slipping. Guddu visits the Pandit household briefly but doesn’t say a word and leaves.
At the Shukla manor in episode 8, Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi) notes to Sharad Shukla (Anjumm Shharma) that throwing Golu’s body at the border issues a challenge to Guddu. The blame will no doubt fall on Sharad so he’s thinking he’ll take full responsibility for it. If you do that, Guddu will attack you for sure, Kaleen Bhaiya notes. But why will he walk into his trap? Sharad asks Kaleen Bhaiya if he trusts him. You’ve dragged me from the jaws of death and given me a house and family, he replies. There is no question of trust, Kaleen Bhaiya adds. Sharad says he can act on his suggestion, but he seeks Kaleen Bhaiya’s forgiveness and permission. What does he have in mind?
In Lucknow in Mirzapur season 3 episode 8, Sharad pays Chief Minister Madhuri Yadav (Isha Talwar) a visit. She wants to know if he’s making the right move. Guddu could overreact, she adds, and this puts Beena and her son in danger. (She’s technically her mother-in-law, after all, so she cares.) Sharad feels Guddu’s ego is bigger than his desire to harm the Tripathis. That said, they need to move quickly.
Guddu then goes to see his father in jail. “I am all alone now,” Guddu says in episode 8 and adds that he feels numb and suffocated from the pain. He’s clearly looking for answers. Ramakant says he’s asking for advice for the first time and for the first time, he doesn’t have anything to say. Ramakant is lost too, for he feels he’s thrown away his life on virtues and principles. He should’ve taught Guddu to love, not fight. Maybe he realised it too late, Ramakant adds. “Maybe? What good is ‘maybe’?” Guddu wonders. After Ramakant asks what his mind is telling him, Guddu says all he knows is to kill. “Then go kill,” Ramakant says. Wait, what? Who is this Ramakant? The father adds that he has learnt just one thing in jail—the only thing to do is what is best for survival. Guddu feels his dad has given up on him. Ramakant says he has given up on himself.
At the weapons factory in Mirzapur season 3 episode 8, Guddu issues an edict to his men. They are called gangsters so be gangsters. He wants them to turn Jaunpur into a graveyard. Even if you suspect someone or don’t like his face, shoot him down. Guddu is giving them a free hand, yikes.
Just then, IG Vishudhanand Dubey (Manu Rishi Chadha) arrives to see Guddu in episode 8. I’m guessing this is part of Sharad’s plan. Dubey calls up CM Madhuri and then hands over the phone to Guddu. She asks him to hand over Beena—in return, she’ll personally oversee Ramakant’s case to ensure that he doesn’t get the death penalty. Guddu wonders why the head of an entire state is calling a nobody like himself. Madhuri warns that the only thing keeping her from entering Mirzapur guns blazing is her family’s safety. Guddu and Madhuri leave each other with an ultimatum of sorts.
At the Pandit household in Mirzapur season 3 episode 8, a stressed Dimpy (Harshita Shekhar Gaur) walks in to reveal that the judge in Ramakant’s case has been transferred. A new judge from Lucknow has come in and the hearing has been scheduled for this week itself. No doubt Madhuri is fast-tracking the case.
Over at the Tripathi manor in episode 8, it seems Guddu has told Beena what Madhuri said. Oh, you naïve boy, if only you knew she’s playing both sides. Beena says she’s worried who he’ll choose between his father and her. Guddu says Beena and her son are her responsibility. He won’t pick between them. Beena says she trusts him, but of course, she’s lying to him. As Guddu walks away, she admits to the house help Radhiya (Prashansa Sharma) that Guddu has been cornered.
Mirzapur season 3 cast — the full list
The Pandits, the Tripathis, and all the other major clans return for the third season of Mirzapur. It’s time for a refresher.
Celebrations are ongoing at the Tyagi manor in Mirzapur season 3 episode 8 for how they’ve used Golu to push Janupur and Mirzapur into fighting each other. Chhote/Fake Badde suggests to Dadda (Liliput Faruqui) that they should expand their business. Siwan has reached a saturation point and Purvanchal is presenting opportunities in its current state. His dad says that they need to tread slowly—stealing cars (their current trade) and liquor (the Shukla trade) are both illegal businesses. Chhote raises his voice, as he notes that Dadda gets angry if he doesn’t take initiative and when he does, he stops him. Chhote’s mother and Dadda’s wife, Geeta (Alka Amin), gets them to calm down. Dadda then shifts the topic and tells Chhote that he needs to take Saloni on a holiday. But Chhote says he’s dealing with an urgent matter—the first sign that he’s still hiding something.
As Chhote leaves to drop Ginni (Nitara Bhambhani) off at school in episode 8, Saloni feels something is off. For one, the real Badde never used to do this. Add the injury on Chhote’s hand and that he went down on her and Saloni is finally seeing the signs that her husband has changed. So, Saloni follows Chhote to school and then to the basement. Golu is still alive, which raises the question of whose body he used to fake her death. As Chhote is about to leave, he finds Saloni outside. Everything goes wrong for Chhote in that moment as Golu opens her mouth and reveals that he’s Chhote, not Badde. Saloni tries to run but Chhote grabs her and locks her in the basement with Golu.
Over at the court in Mirzapur season 3 episode 8, IG Dubey and his team are in place. What have they got planned? I’m guessing it involves Guddu who is an unexpected presence at Ramakant’s hearing. The entire court gets up to pay his respects which is funny because that tends to be reserved for the judge. Seeing how Guddu’s men are also there—all well-armed—it’s clear that Guddu has decided to do something brash.
As the new judge (Ashish Athawle) declares a guilty verdict and is about to seal the decision by breaking the nib of his pen, Robin (Priyanshu Painyuli) gets up and throws everything into chaos in episode 8. He reveals he handled Guddu’s business and that he was the one who handed all the evidence to Ramakant and the dead cop. Naturally, there’s uproar in the court. The judge silences everybody and postpones the hearing until the police record Robin’s confession in full. Guddu is left upstaged. Clearly, he didn’t expect Robin to do that.
Back in Lucknow in Mirzapur season 3 episode 8, Sharad is trying to roll a joint for the Chief Minister. Her assistant Anand (Rohit Tiwari) walks in to tell her that Dubey’s plan couldn’t be executed. They were hoping that Guddu would create a ruckus in court, which would present the police with an opportunity to arrest him. But thanks to Robin’s late move, Guddu didn’t do anything.
At the Pandit household in episode 8, Dimpy is upset with Robin as no one trusts her to tell her anything. Robin tries to apologise. He used to think that money and living for himself was everything. But after meeting Dimpy, Robin learnt that the happiness you get from living for others is unmatched. Everything he did was for this family. Robin admits he made a blunder and that he tried to hide it. Dimpy forgives him, much to a pleased Vasudha (Sheeba Chaddha) who turns their embrace into a group hug.
A coked-up Guddu walks in and changes the entire atmosphere in Mirzapur season 3 episode 8. He mocks them for their togetherness and barks at Robin for giving Ramakant the proof of his dealings. Guddu thinks Robin has been playing his own game and doesn’t take kindly to Robin calling himself his “younger brother” as he asks for forgiveness. Do you not realise you are invoking Bablu, the brother he lost?
As Guddu grabs him by the ears in episode 8, Dimpy and Vasudha separate the two. Guddu feels Robin has stolen his family away from him and blames him: “If he hadn’t given him the evidence, Papa wouldn’t have shot that officer, and he wouldn’t have had to go to jail.” Robin isn’t willing to take it lying down. He notes that he had nothing and built something of his life. Guddu, on the other hand, threw away everything. He even lost the one thing that remained: Golu.
Robin then adds he had warned Golu, but she didn’t listen. Guddu’s like “Wait, hold on, you met Golu? I’ve been running around for days looking for her, and you didn’t think to tell me?” If Robin had said something, Guddu feels he could’ve found her before she was burnt to death. That’s enough to send him over the cliff in Mirzapur season 3 episode 8.
Guddu takes all his anger and frustration out on Robin. He grabs him by the neck, pushes him down on the Pandit’s dining table, and presses his eyes in with his fingers. Dimpy and Vasudha try to stop him but it’s in vain. He’s too strong for them. Guddu doesn’t let up and as the table breaks in half, Robin’s skull is smashed in. Like The Mountain did to Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones. Except unintentional. Episode 8 ends in silence as they all recoil. Vasudha staggers back in horror and vomits. Dimpy falls to the ground and lets out a wail. Even Guddu knows he’s taken it too far—he tries to cover his eyes and hide in the corner. But nothing can change what he’s done. There’s no coming back from this.
Mirzapur season 3 episode 8 is out now on Prime Video.
Stray observations in Mirzapur season 3 episode 8
- What a way to go out for Shahnawaz Pradhan—he plays Golu’s cop father, Parshuram Gupta—who died in early 2023. A tragic and violent end for a character who lost everything to Mirzapur.
- Episode 8 offers us a bit of trivia: Ramakant’s father was called Virendrakant Pandit.
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