‘Mandala Murders’ Review: Vaani Kapoor’s Netflix Series Masterfully Weaves Gripping Mystery and Eerie Thrills (LatestLY Exclusive)

Mandala Murders Review: Mandala Murders is what you might get if Asur collided with a Dan Brown novel - only more polished and tighter (in writing) than the former and far more captivating than any of the latter’s big-screen adaptations. Created by Gopi Puthran (of Mardaani 2 fame) and co-directed with Manan Rawat, this YRF-produced series marks Vaani Kapoor’s OTT debut in a twisted, tension-laced thriller that confidently blends cult horror with investigative grit. Vaani Kapoor Visits Varanasi’s Sarnath Temple, Shares Pics on Instagram.

The show is loosely based on Mahendra Jakhar's bestselling novel The Butcher of Benares, with major changes made to the characters and plot setting. Scripted by Gopi Puthran, Matt Graham, Anurag Goswami, and Gabe Gabriel, Mandala Murders evolves into its own eerie identity.

'Mandala Murders' Review - The Plot

Set in the fictional North Indian town of Charandaspur (that becomes a character within its own location setting), the story kicks off with the discovery of a dismembered body grotesquely reassembled like a macabre puzzle. That’s just the beginning. There’s a murderous forest cult crafting their own Frankenstein’s monster, a mysterious wish-granting device that demands a thumb (and more), a cloaked assassin with a sharp fondness for dismemberment, and a professor who claims he can see Death lurking in the shadows.

At the centre of this madness is Rea Thomas (Vaani Kapoor), a CIB officer investigating the initial murder while haunted by the hallucination of a little girl - her guilt personified. Then there’s Vikram Singh (Vaibhav Raj Gupta), a suspended cop returning to his hometown to unravel the mystery of his mother’s disappearance, accompanied by his father (Manu Rishi Chadha). Their fates converge in the mysterious Varuna forest, where twisted truths lie, well, not exactly buried.

Watch the Trailer of 'Mandala Murders':

The supporting set of characters are also quite interesting. Particularly Surveen Chawla as Ananya Bhardwaj, a shrewd and manipulative politician contending with political rival brothers Vijay and Sujay Yadav (Rahul Bagga and Siddhant Kapoor) and an abusive paraplegic husband (Rahul Singh).

'Mandala Murders' Review - Suspense Meets Spooks

Mandala Murders is essentially a gripping investigative thriller peppered with supernatural elements - and that’s always a fascinating combo. From the prologue set in the 1950s featuring a fantastic Shriya Pilgaonkar as the cult leader racing against time to bring an unholy creation to life, the show immediately hooks you.

What makes Mandala Murders engaging is its ability to balance gritty crime procedural, eerie mysticism, and political drama without losing narrative control. The show teases its larger secrets early - hinting at the cult’s intent to make a monstrous creation and ritualistic murders whose purpose is pretty evident - yet keeps you hooked by peeling back layers gradually and cleverly. The storytelling is bolstered by non-linear flashbacks and parallel investigations that manage to stay tightly focused, thanks to strong editing and direction.

The show excels at weaving character complexity into its central plot. Ananya’s mention of her abusive marriage, for example, isn’t just backstory - it contextualises her cold ambition and political shrewdness. These little character studies feel purposeful and lead to satisfying payoffs. The pacing is steady, with smart reveals and chilling surprises dropped at just the right moments to keep you on edge. A standout episode introduces the Shastri couple and delivers one of the eeriest twists of the series, ending with a shocking bang.

Even amid gory kills and grotesque imagery, Mandala Murders restrains itself from being exploitative with the onscreen violence and language used. In fact, there’s more profanity in the English subtitles than in the actual dialogue. And despite the dark and spooky nature of the show there is a layering of humour that doesn't feel intrusive. The Railway Men Review: Performances Redeem R Madhavan and Kay Kay Menon's Netflix Series Amidst Derailing Subplots.

PS: I’ve mentioned this in quite a few of my reviews: I’m not a fan of shows and movies where cops use third-degree torture to extract information from suspects. No matter the intention, it still glorifies police custodial methods that are, by law, illegal. Mandala Murders unfortunately contains such scenes encouraged by the protagonist.

The penultimate episode uses a conveniently written book to explain some key mysteries - how the author knows such specific details despite not being present at some of those events is questionable - but the series wraps up the narrative neatly in the finale episode, offering a couple more twists while leaving just enough for a potential second season. And no, it may not answer every question, but I’m fine with that - over-explaining ruins the fun. Sometimes, the thrill lies in connecting the dots ourselves.

'Mandala Murders' Review - The Performances

Performance-wise, Vaani Kapoor delivers a strong turn as the tough, guilt-ridden, occasionally wisecracking investigator, showing real command in both the emotional and action-driven scenes (though the fight choreography could be slicker). Vaibhav Raj Gupta impresses with a layered performance that slowly builds into something genuinely affecting. Jameel Khan as their cult-savvy advisor is good, and the show avoids reducing him to a simple exposition device.

Raghubir Yadav brings his usual brilliance to the ominous Shastri, with Piloo Vidyarthi offering strong support. But the standout for me is Surveen Chawla - who frankly deserves the title of OTT queen, as some netizens agree. As Ananya, she brings depth to a character who is morally ambiguous and fiercely unpredictable. One small moment where she casually rebukes a betraying employee while stepping out of the car to confront an assailant with a pen-knife floored me with how Chawla commanded that scene - and it’s just one of many standout scenes of hers in the series.

The ensemble - Manu Rishi Chadha, Siddhant Kapoor, Rahul Bagga, Akash Dahiya, Rahul Singh, Monica Chaudary, Rahul Singh and Leena Balodi - are all solid, with no weak links in the cast. Special credit to Ankit and Sachit Balhara for the haunting score that elevates the atmosphere, and to Ganesh Gangadharan for pitch-perfect sound design.

'Mandala Murders' Review - Final Thoughts

Mandala Murders is a gripping, genre-blending thriller that knows how to surprise, disturb, and engage in equal measure. With compelling performances, layered storytelling, and the mystique of supernatural themes, it avoids most of the genre’s pitfalls and delivers something distinctly eerie and refreshingly original. Mandala Murders is streaming on Netflix.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 25, 2025 12:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).