BY NAMITA DOGRA SUDAN*
While Bollywood clings to its outdated, hero-centric narratives, India’s streaming platforms are boldly shifting the spotlight to women. Mandala Murders is a powerful example of this evolution: a myth-soaked, psychological thriller that combines mystery, horror, and science, all anchored by complex female characters where women are not side characters, but the architects of the mystery.
Plot and Characters
Premiering on July 25, 2025, Mandala Murders quickly surged into Netflix’s global Top 10 with 1.9 million views in just three days. Created by Gopi Puthran and co-directed by Manan Rawat, the story is set in the atmospheric, haunted town of Charandaspur, where a series of brutal, ritualistic murders points to a shadowy cult, the Aayastis. This secretive group aims to create a divine entity named Yast by assembling human body parts, guided by the mystical Aayast Yantra.
Leading the investigation is CBI officer Rea Thomas (Vaani Kapoor, YRF’s frequent lead, making her OTT debut), alongside suspended Delhi cop Vikram Singh (Vaibhav Raj Gupta, best known for TVF series Gullak). Standing in opposition is Ananya Bhardwaj (Surveen Chawla, Rana Naidu fame), a local politician whose family is deeply entangled in the cult’s history.
Told through nonlinear timelines that span from 1952 to the present, the series blends supernatural horror, political intrigue, trauma, faith, and science all anchored by a veiled female narrator and a story full of buried secrets.
Positives
- Female-Led and Fiercely Written: The series is refreshingly woman-led. Kapoor and Chawla carry the story with grit and nuance, while female characters dominate several subplots not as victims, but as key players and decision-makers.
- Genre-Bending and Ambitious: Mandala Murders is more than a murder mystery. It fuses myth, horror, drama, political thrillers, and even science in the final stretch. Themes of obsessive love, revenge, and hidden loyalties are layered in without overwhelming the story.
- Haunting Visual Aesthetic: The cinematography by Rafey Mehmood transforms Charandaspur into a living, breathing character, eerie, fog-laced, and deeply unsettling. Rituals, shadows, and landscapes are beautifully rendered.
- Standout Performances: Surveen Chawla is a scene-stealer, delivering a nuanced performance as a woman walking the line between control and collapse. Vaibhav Raj Gupta adds grounded intensity. Raghubir Yadav, Manu Rishi and Jameel Khan shine in supporting roles, lending the show credibility and emotional weight.
Negatives
- Vaani Kapoor’s Limited Emotional Range: While Kapoor fits the physicality of the role, she falters during moments that demand inner vulnerability or emotional complexity. Her performance, though competent, lacks the gravitas the character deserves.
- Science Meets Spirituality—Underexplained: The final act introduces an intriguing twist involving physics and scientific logic, a bold and refreshing turn. However, the execution is vague. For the average viewer, the science could have been better explained to tie the mystery together more cohesively.
- Lack of Heart-Pounding Suspense: Despite a loaded premise, the screenplay misses the chance to create truly nail-biting tension. Unlike Ghoul, which gripped viewers with sheer dread, Mandala Murders maintains intrigue but rarely delivers adrenaline-pumping moments.
- Rushed Final Two Episodes: As the show races to wrap up its complex web of mysteries, the final two chapters feel hurried. It’s as if the creators were boxed into an eight-episode limit, leaving critical twists underdeveloped. A ninth episode could’ve allowed the unraveling of secrets and science to land with more impact.
Final Verdict
Mandala Murders is an atmospheric, layered, and genre-rich thriller that boldly steps into spaces Indian mainstream cinema still avoids, especially in its celebration of complex women. Despite a few execution hiccups and a slightly underwhelming conclusion, the show is compelling, visually haunting, and thematically ambitious.
It’s not just about solving murders, it’s about confronting legacy, belief, obsession, and the ever-blurring lines between superstition and science. And in that space, Mandala Murders carves out something truly distinct.
Rating: ★★★¾ (3.75/5)
Recommended For: Fans of Sacred Games, Ghoul, The Da Vinci Code, and viewers who love slow-burn thrillers with rich mythology, bold female leads, and unconventional twists.
*Namita Dogra Sudan is the entertainment news editor and video news producer of NRIPulse.
