[5] The film stars Rani Mukerji, with Jisshu Sengupta, Tahir Raj Bhasin and Saanand Verma in supporting roles.

The narrative revolves around Shivani Shivaji Roy, a policewoman whose interest in the case of a kidnapped teenage girl leads her to uncover the secrets of human trafficking by the Indian mafia.

[6] Released theatrically on 22 August 2014, the film received positive reviews, with praise for Mukerji's performance, and emerged as a commercial success.

As a warning, he spreads fake news that Shivani's husband has misused his profession as a doctor to molest a female patient, causing Bikram to be thrown off-duty.

Shivani travels to Delhi and sets up a trap involving decoy drug dealers from Nigeria, who pretend to offer expensive and rare South American cocaine to Karan and Wakeel.

While Karan escapes, Wakeel tries to erase evidence by destroying his mobile phone's SIM card, then commits suicide.

Feeling that he might escape the law, given the corrupt police and judicial system, she hands Karan over to the girls, who beat him to death.

[14] The Central Board of Film Certification required that the use of a profanity and scene depicting rape of a teenage girl be removed from the trailer.

[18] Mid-Day gave Mardaani four stars out of five and said Pradeep Sarkar "offers a pragmatic and compelling story of what it is to chase down the bad guy with Rani Mukerji at her mercurial best as an inspector who simply won't give up".

[20] Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama wrote, "[E]nacting the part of the tough-talking cop who goes in pursuit of those who run the sex trafficking ring, Rani strikes a true to life, forceful pose and also lends her character the much-needed intensity, strength and dignity.

[22] In December 2018, Yash Raj Films announced that a sequel Mardaani 2 will be made with writer Gopi Puthran directing this time, and Rani Mukerji reprising her role.