Mandala Murders — Crime, Cults & A Town That Never Forgets

Mandala Murders is a dark, myth-fueled thriller streaming on Netflix (Premiered July 25, 2025), blending occult horror, crime procedural, and small-town conspiracy in a haunting setting: Charandaspur, a fictional Uttar Pradesh hamlet drenched in mist, gossip, and guarded secrets.

At its core are two driven investigators: Rea Thomas (Vaani Kapoor), a disciplined CIB officer haunted by her grandmother’s unresolved past, and Vikram Singh (Vaibhav Raj Gupta), a suspended cop with scars — both visible and buried — and a family history tied to the town’s bloodiest legend. Their hunt? To stop a string of ritualistic killings orchestrated by the Aayastis, a cult determined to resurrect a synthetic god — Yast — by assembling human body parts in a mandala-shaped sequence of sacrifice.

The show’s strongest USP is its visual storytelling. Cinematographer Shaz Mohammed bathes Charandaspur in gothic shadows, where dusty lanes and dim forests feel like they have their memory. For me, as someone who also builds narratives beyond the screen, that immersive world-building is a marketer’s dream — you can almost design an entire campaign around the town as a “character” itself.

Vaani Kapoor, in her OTT debut, brings sharp poise to Rea — a mix of elegance and grit — though some emotional beats stay just shy of full impact. Vaibhav Raj Gupta, on the other hand, is quietly magnetic; his performance is the kind that pulls you in without demanding it. The supporting cast, including Surveen Chawla, is layered enough to keep the intrigue breathing.

Where Mandala Murders triumphs in tone, it occasionally falters in pace. The ambition is undeniable, but the multiple timelines, dense lore, and sprawling character arcs sometimes test patience. Still, for audiences who enjoy slow-burn mysteries steeped in myth and meaning, this is a series worth investing in — both as viewers and as conversation-starters.

By the finale, myths and motives collide in a claustrophobic underground chamber, with Rea racing against time to stop Vikram from becoming the final piece of Yast’s gruesome rebirth. Ritual, science, legacy, and betrayal converge — and while the immediate threat is cut short, the cult’s shadow lingers, hinting at a second season that could go even darker.

Verdict: Mandala Murders is an atmospheric, ambitious thriller — 3.5 out of 5 stars from my desk. Watch it if you like your crime with a touch of the occult and a lot of visual allure. Skip it if you want every thread neatly tied. From a PR lens, it’s the kind of project that can be sold for its world as much as its plot — a ready-made case study in how a strong setting and mythos can be a brand in itself.