Netflix’s “Mandala Murders” Blends Mythology, Murder, and Madness
- Sahil Rahi
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
What happens when old forgotten gods, small-town secrets, and creepy cult murders all crash into each other? You get something like Mandala Murders, Netflix’s new crime show that’s honestly way more than it looks.
A Town Full Of Secrets And Something Older
The story starts with a bunch of murders that look random at first, but then you realise they’re all following a pattern. Literally, each dead body is part of a design. This design is a mandala, a sacred symbol that’s being recreated by a creepy cult called Aayasti. They believe this ritual will bring back a long-lost god named Yast. So yeah, this is not your usual police chase.
Two cops, Rea Thomas, a top CIB officer (played by Vaani Kapoor), and Vikram Singh, a suspended cop full of scars (played by Vaibhav Raj Gupta), team up to figure it all out. And as they dig deeper, stuff from the past starts bubbling up.
Two Timelines, One Big Mess
What makes this show even more interesting is that it runs in two timelines. The present day is where the murders are happening, but you also keep jumping back to the 1950s when the cult first started doing its freaky rituals. It’s not just for style. The flashbacks actually make you feel how deep this whole thing runs.
Who Stands Out?
Vaani Kapoor really surprises here. She’s not over the top. She plays it cool, keeps stuff held back, and it actually works. Not perfect, sure, but way better than what people expect from her.
Vaibhav Raj Gupta, though. Wow. He owns it. His Vikram is tired, broken, angry, but still pushing through. You feel every bit of it.
And then there’s Surveen Chawla as Ananya Bharadwaj. A politician who’s way too calm for what’s going on. She has this quiet, scary presence like she knows something you don’t. But honestly, the biggest star is the atmosphere. Shaz Mohammed’s camera work is amazing. The foggy woods, the strange lights, those dark old houses — every shot feels like a bad dream you can’t wake up from.
Not Just A Crime Show
Sure, it starts like a murder mystery. But Mandala Murders goes way deeper.It talks about faith turning into obsession. How caste problems stay hidden under the surface. How trauma keeps spinning from one generation to the next. Just like that mandala in the title.
Now yeah, the middle episodes slow down a bit. Sometimes the story tries to do too much and loses track. But when it clicks, it really pulls you in. The dialogues don’t spoon-feed you. You have to pay attention. It actually trusts you to figure things out.
That Ending Though
No spoilers, but the ending doesn’t tie everything up. Some people get peace. Some go even deeper into the madness. And just when you think it’s all over, there’s one last symbol. Like maybe the cult is not done yet. Like maybe Yast is still waiting. Feels like they’re setting up for another season. And honestly, they should.
Final Thoughts
Mandala Murders is not just another crime thriller. It’s weird. It’s dark. It’s ambitious. It plays with myth, violence, belief, and pain in a way that’s pretty rare for Indian shows. It’s not for everyone. The pace gets slow. It asks you to focus. Some parts feel confusing. But that’s kind of the point.
If you’re into shows that make you think, make you feel weird, and don’t hand you all the answers, this one’s worth watching. Even with the flaws, it’s trying to do something fresh. And that alone makes it stand out.
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