Her much-acclaimed act showcasing a mother’s desperate fight to win custody of her children in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway behind her, Rani Mukerji Chopra is set to train attention to her next, Mardaani 3. Filming for the actioner, produced by her husband Aditya Chopra, is likely to kick off next year.

A source close to the production house confirms that the developments are underway. “This franchise is commercially successful. Rani is loved in the role of IPS officer Shivani Shivaji Roy, and her popularity is one of the reasons behind the creators’ decision to go ahead with Mardaani 3. She has been sitting with writer-director Gopi Puthran to crack the concept. He is writing the story and the screenplay, and may direct it as well. The film will take the tale of cop Shivani forward, with Jisshu reprising the role of her husband. The team plans to shoot across international locales as Shivani has to travel across the world to solve a new crime.”

The last two editions were directed by Pradeep Sarkar and Puthran respectively. While the first one revolved around human trafficking, the second followed a psychopath. “Mardaani 3 will also dabble in a universal issue that women can relate to.”