BY NAMITA DOGRA SUDAN*

Whereas Bollywood clings to its outdated, hero-centric narratives, India’s streaming platforms are boldly shifting the highlight to ladies. Mandala Murders is a strong instance of this evolution: a myth-soaked, psychological thriller that mixes thriller, horror, and science, all anchored by advanced feminine characters the place ladies aren’t aspect characters, however the architects of the thriller.

Plot and Characters

Premiering on July 25, 2025, Mandala Murders shortly surged into Netflix’s international High 10 with 1.9 million views in simply three days. Created by Gopi Puthran and co-directed by Manan Rawat, the story is about within the atmospheric, haunted city of Charandaspur, the place a collection of brutal, ritualistic murders factors to a shadowy cult, the Aayastis. This secretive group goals to create a divine entity named Yast by assembling human physique elements, guided by the paranormal Aayast Yantra.

Main 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, greatest identified for TVF collection Gullak). Standing in opposition is Ananya Bhardwaj (Surveen Chawla, Rana Naidu fame), an area politician whose household is deeply entangled within the cult’s historical past.

Instructed by means of nonlinear timelines that span from 1952 to the current, the collection blends supernatural horror, political intrigue, trauma, religion, and science all anchored by a veiled feminine narrator and a narrative filled with buried secrets and techniques.

Positives

• Feminine-Led and Fiercely Written: The collection is refreshingly woman-led. Kapoor and Chawla carry the story with grit and nuance, whereas feminine characters dominate a number of subplots not as victims, however as key gamers and decision-makers.
• Style-Bending and Formidable: Mandala Murders is greater than a homicide thriller. It fuses fantasy, horror, drama, political thrillers, and even science within the last stretch. Themes of obsessive love, revenge, and hidden loyalties are layered in with out overwhelming the story.
• Haunting Visible Aesthetic: The cinematography by Rafey Mehmood transforms Charandaspur right into a dwelling, respiration character, eerie, fog-laced, and deeply unsettling. Rituals, shadows, and landscapes are superbly rendered.
• Standout Performances: Surveen Chawla is a scene-stealer, delivering a nuanced efficiency as a lady strolling the road between management and collapse. Vaibhav Raj Gupta provides grounded depth. Raghubir Yadav, Manu Rishi and Jameel Khan shine in supporting roles, lending the present credibility and emotional weight.

Negatives

• Vaani Kapoor’s Restricted Emotional Vary: Whereas Kapoor matches the physicality of the function, she falters throughout moments that demand inside vulnerability or emotional complexity. Her efficiency, although competent, lacks the gravitas the character deserves.
• Science Meets Spirituality—Underexplained: The ultimate act introduces an intriguing twist involving physics and scientific logic, a daring and refreshing flip. Nevertheless, the execution is imprecise. For the common viewer, the science may have been higher defined to tie the thriller collectively extra cohesively. 
• Lack of Coronary heart-Pounding Suspense: Regardless of a loaded premise, the screenplay misses the possibility to create actually nail-biting stress. Not like Ghoul, which gripped viewers with sheer dread, Mandala Murders maintains intrigue however hardly ever delivers adrenaline-pumping moments.
• Rushed Ultimate Two Episodes: Because the present races to wrap up its advanced net of mysteries, the ultimate two chapters really feel hurried. It’s as if the creators had been boxed into an eight-episode restrict, leaving essential twists underdeveloped. A ninth episode may’ve allowed the unraveling of secrets and techniques and science to land with extra affect.

Ultimate Verdict

Mandala Murders is an atmospheric, layered, and genre-rich thriller that boldly steps into areas Indian mainstream cinema nonetheless avoids, particularly in its celebration of advanced ladies. Regardless of a couple of execution hiccups and a barely underwhelming conclusion, the present is compelling, visually haunting, and thematically bold.

It’s not nearly fixing murders, it’s about confronting legacy, perception, obsession, and the ever-blurring strains between superstition and science. And in that house, Mandala Murders carves out one thing actually distinct.

Score: ★★★¾ (3.75/5)
Really helpful For: Followers of Sacred Video games, Ghoul, The Da Vinci Code, and viewers who love slow-burn thrillers with wealthy mythology, daring feminine leads, and unconventional twists.

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*Namita Dogra Sudan is the leisure information editor and video information producer of NRIPulse.