But the real buzz isn’t just the numbers; it’s the way Sonali stepped into a world she’d only ever watched from the couch. She admitted the lure of the role was double‑edged—her lifelong fandom of Mirzapur gave her a confidence boost, yet the thought of stepping into a franchise with a fiercely loyal fan base felt like walking onto a stage with the lights already blazing on someone else’s performance.
Her confidence, surprisingly, came from the creators. Gurmeet Singh and writer Puneet Krishna have a history of treating new characters with the same depth as the originals, a promise Sonali echoed when she said, “They give equal importance to every character.” That assurance, she added, let her toss aside the fear that the audience might reject a newcomer on a big screen.
Fans, however, were not shy about showing their affection. The actress noted that after Zoya’s response in Jannat, the love for Mumtaz Bibi surpassed her expectations, with messages pouring in that felt like a second love story unfolding. “It’s much, much more than I imagined,” she laughed, highlighting how the audience’s embrace turned a cautious debut into a celebratory moment.
Now that the dust has settled, Sonali is already eyeing her next challenge. She’s keen to prove she can inhabit the gritty, rural world of Mirzapur as convincingly as she’s proved she can navigate the emotional terrain of her role. The film’s success and her own breakout performance signal that the franchise is ready to evolve, and that new talent can find a place without stepping on old toes.