Mohit Malik has opened up about the psychological work behind his performance as Birju Lohar in Mirzapur The Movie, saying that playing a morally complicated figure demands that an actor first make sense of the character's inner logic. The film, which brings the acclaimed crime drama to the big screen, released in theatres on September 3, 2026, and is directed by Gurmmeet Singh.
In his remarks, Malik stressed that understanding a character like Birju means looking past surface behaviour. "We have to understand his mindset," he said, framing the role as one that cannot be approached through simple judgments of good and evil.
The actor's comments come as the film continues to draw attention for its dense web of power-hungry figures. Set against the backdrop of an escalating struggle for control of Mirzapur, the story sees familiar rivalries reignite while a fresh player enters the fray, forcing the Tripathis to confront dangers from both their history and their present.
A New Rival in the Fight for the Throne
According to the film's official synopsis, the battle for Mirzapur's throne intensifies as old enemies resurface and a new threat emerges in the form of Babban Babua, a ruthless businessman from Jaisalmer with ambitions of his own. As the Tripathis face enemies from the past and present, loyalties are tested while Guddu and Bablu Pandit fight to establish themselves in the power struggle for Mirzapur.
Babban Babua is portrayed by Ravi Kishan, whose entry adds another layer of menace to a narrative already populated with schemers. The synopsis indicates that the arrival of this Jaisalmer businessman reshapes the balance of power, leaving longstanding loyalties vulnerable to shifting alliances.
Malik on the Challenge of Complex Roles
Malik's character, Birju Lohar, fits into that morally grey landscape, and the actor suggested that such parts require careful attention to motivation rather than easy labels. His point about grasping a character's mindset reflects a broader approach to performing figures whose choices may unsettle audiences but remain internally coherent.
For Malik, the work lies in uncovering why a character behaves as he does, which allows the performance to carry conviction even when the actions are difficult to defend. That perspective aligns with the kind of layered storytelling the Mirzapur franchise has become known for, where ambition and violence rarely come with clear-cut heroes and villains.
An Ensemble Built on Established Names
The film assembles a large cast drawn largely from the series. Pankaj Tripathi returns as Akhandanand 'Kaleen' Tripathi, with Ali Fazal as Govind 'Guddu' Pandit and Divyendu Sharma as Phoolchand 'Munna' Tripathi. Jitendra Kumar appears as Vinay 'Bablu' Pandit, while Rasika Dugal plays Beena Tripathi and Sheeba Chaddha portrays Vasudha Pandit. Ravi Kishan joins as Babban Babua, and Mohit Malik takes on the role of Birju Lohar.
The ensemble nature of the project means Malik's Birju shares screen space with several of the franchise's most recognisable figures, and the actor's remarks suggest he approached the part as one strand in a larger tapestry of competing interests.
A Big-Screen Expansion of the Franchise
Mirzapur The Movie is a Hindi-language Bollywood production spanning action, crime, drama and thriller genres, with a runtime of 211 minutes. Gurmmeet Singh directs the feature, which arrives in cinemas on September 3, 2026.
The film currently holds a rating of 6.9 out of 10 on TMDb, based on audience assessments recorded on the platform.
With its extended runtime and theatrical release, the movie offers the franchise room to expand its portrait of Mirzapur's power games, and Malik's reflections on Birju underline how much of that drama plays out in the minds of its characters as much as in their confrontations.
Source: Filmibeat
