# Mirzapur (2018) Review: Pulp Power in the Badlands > Mirzapur is Prime Video's violent Hindi crime saga about a war for control of an Uttar Pradesh town. Pankaj Tripathi dominates; later seasons lose some bite. Canonical: https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/mirzapur-review/ Published: 2026-07-22 Last updated: 2026-09-24 Author: Kaiser Khan — Founder & Editor Language: English Review basis: direct-viewing Spoilers: none Rating: 4/5 ## Verdict Yes, with reservations. Season one is a ferocious, addictive crime drama worth seeing; later seasons are baggier, and the violence and profanity are relentless. ## Is Mirzapur worth watching? **Yes, with reservations. Mirzapur is a loud, violent and hugely entertaining crime saga, and its first season remains one of the most gripping launches in Indian streaming.** The show thrives on its vivid regional setting, its pulpy energy and Pankaj Tripathi's quietly terrifying crime lord. The main reservation is that the later seasons grow longer, more repetitive and more reliant on shock, and the relentless brutality will be too much for some viewers. ## What is Mirzapur about? In the town of Mirzapur, in the lawless hinterland of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Akhandanand Tripathi (Pankaj Tripathi), known to everyone as Kaleen Bhaiya, runs a respectable carpet export business that fronts a far more profitable trade in guns and drugs. His power seems absolute, but his volatile son Munna (Divyendu Sharma) is desperate to prove himself as heir. When two brothers, the hot-headed, muscular Guddu (Ali Fazal) and his clever younger sibling, sons of a principled local lawyer, are drawn into Kaleen Bhaiya's orbit, their ambition sparks a bloody struggle for control of the town's criminal empire. Shweta Tripathi and Rasika Dugal play women who become far more important to that struggle than anyone expects. [Mirzapur](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/mirzapur/) was created by Puneet Krishna and Karan Anshuman. It is an Indian Prime Video series in Hindi, and this review covers the three seasons released so far, 29 episodes from 2018 onwards. The story is listed as ongoing. ## Pankaj Tripathi's whispered menace The series has plenty of shouting, but its most frightening figure rarely raises his voice. Pankaj Tripathi plays Kaleen Bhaiya with a soft-spoken, almost genteel calm that makes his cruelty more chilling, and he has an instinct for small comic touches that make the character magnetic. It is a performance that became iconic for good reason. Divyendu Sharma is equally memorable as Munna, a spoiled, insecure young man whose unpredictability makes every scene tense. Ali Fazal gives Guddu a raw physicality and hunger, and the rivalry between the would-be heirs gives the show its emotional backbone. The women are among the most interesting characters: Rasika Dugal, in particular, gives Beena, Kaleen Bhaiya's wife, a sly, shifting intelligence. ## A crime world rooted in place Mirzapur's greatest strength is its setting. The show immerses viewers in small-town north Indian life, from local politics, colleges and weddings to the dusty streets where power is negotiated through guns, and the dialogue is sharp, profane and full of regional flavour. The world feels specific rather than generic, and the connections between crime, caste, politics and family are woven into the story rather than explained. The pacing of the first season is taut, building steadily towards eruptions of violence that genuinely shock. It set a template that many Indian crime series have tried to copy since. ## When the saga starts to sprawl The later seasons are more uneven. As the cast expands and the power struggle widens, storylines multiply, episodes lengthen and the plotting relies more on betrayals and bloodshed for their own sake. Some characters lose the sharpness that made them compelling, and the show's taste for extreme violence and sexual content can feel gratuitous rather than purposeful. Fans invested in the characters will stay for the payoffs; others may feel the momentum fade. ## Who should watch Mirzapur? It is ideal for viewers who enjoy gritty, pulpy [crime](https://celluloidscore.com/genres/crime/) sagas, gangster family dynasties and regional Indian storytelling with strong performances. Twenty-nine episodes across three seasons is a substantial commitment. It is strictly adult viewing, with graphic violence, sexual content, drug use and constant strong language. If you like its world, try these next: - [Sacred Games](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/sacred-games-review/), another landmark Indian streaming crime drama that pairs a cop and a gangster in a darker, more ambitious story. - [The Family Man](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/the-family-man/) for a lighter, wittier Indian thriller that balances action with domestic comedy. ## The verdict Mirzapur is a brash, violent and addictive crime saga that captures the tensions of small-town India with style, anchored by a superb Pankaj Tripathi. The later seasons sprawl and the excess can exhaust, but the first season alone makes it an essential watch for fans of the genre. **Rating: 4/5** ## Related title - [Mirzapur (2018)](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/mirzapur/) ## Editorial - [Editorial standards](https://celluloidscore.com/about/editorial-policy/) - [Report a correction](https://celluloidscore.com/about/corrections/)