Director: Gopi Puthran, Manan Rawat
Synopsis:
MANDALA MURDERS tells the story of an officer in a strange town.
Vikram Singh (Vaibhav Raj Gupta) is traveling to his hometown, Charandaspur, with his father, Vishwanath (Manu Rishi Chadha). On the train, they meet Abhishek Sahay (Aakash Dahiya). Abhishek is in Charandaspur for a mission, which is to collect evidence about a deal between local gangster siblings, Suraj Yadav (Rahul Bhagga) and Vijay Yadav (Siddhanth Kapoor), and an associate of a local politician, Ananya Bharadwaj (Surveen Chawla). Yadav's men notice Abhishek taking pictures and chase him. He manages to escape, but the next day, his body is found in the river, missing his torso. Because the murder is brutal, the CIB gets involved. Rea Thomas (Vaani Kapoor), who is dealing with past trauma, insists to her boss, CIB Deputy Director Naveen Desai (Kiran Karmarkar), that she should be assigned the case. She arrives in Charandaspur and realizes the mystery is much more complicated than it seemed. The murder is connected to politics, so Ananya is a suspect. Vikram, who is in his hometown for personal reasons, also gets pulled into the chaos. Most importantly, the murder of Abhishek and the others that follow is directly linked to a secret cult society. What happens next makes up the rest of the series.
Mandala Murders Story Review:
MANDALA MURDERS is based on the book "The Butcher Of Benares" by Mahendra Jakhar.
The adapted story is interesting and feels a bit like a novel. The screenplay, written by Gabe Gabriel, Matt Graham, Gopi Puthran, and Anurag Goswami, with additional help from Avinash Dwivedi and Chirag Garg, is sharp and keeps the audience engaged. However, it is also quite complicated. The dialogues from Gabe Gabriel, Matt Graham, Avinash Dwivedi, and Chirag Garg are normal, though a few one-liners are a bit over the top.
The direction by Gopi Puthran and Manan Rawat is excellent.
The show is unique and is similar to ASUR. The first episode quickly draws you into the mysterious world of Charandaspur. Besides the murders, Rea's investigation and Vikram's journey also contribute to the intensity. However, the subplot involving the Ayastians stands out as mysterious and a bit terrifying, especially their shocking mission. There are many surprises and twists that keep you interested. The finale is very gripping.
On the other hand, the show can be very confusing and complex.
From the beginning, many characters are introduced quickly, which can make it hard to understand who is who and how they are connected. Therefore, watching the show in one sitting or avoiding long breaks between episodes is recommended, otherwise, you might lose track. Netflix should consider adding recaps at the start of each episode. Another issue is that some developments are hard to follow. So many murders happen, with the first being the most shocking and gruesome. Ideally, it would have made national headlines and added to the pressure. But that doesn't happen. It's also amusing that the killer, dressed in unusual clothes, walks around the city multiple times without anyone noticing. It's only in the final episode that Rea discovers the presence of CCTV cameras and uses that to track the murderer. Also, some characters are underdeveloped and are forgotten for a long time in the show.
Mandala Murdres Performances:
Vaani Kapoor gives a strong performance in action scenes, with two standout moments—her fight at the bridge and when she saves a kid from an ambulance.
The following scene also shows her acting skills. However, her performance isn't always consistent, and in some scenes, her acting isn't up to par. Vaibhav Raj Gupta is a bit off in some parts but overall does a good job. Surveen Chawla, as usual, delivers an exceptional performance. Manu Rishi Chadha and Raghubir Yadav (Kaivalya Shastri) do well in supporting roles. Jameel Khan (Jimmy Khan) plays a cool character and acts well. The same goes for Sharat Sonu (Pramod; local cop and Vikram's friend). Aakash Dahiya, Rahul Bhagga, and Siddhanth Kapoor leave a strong impression. Vinod Suryavanshi (Birju) has limited screen time but is memorable. Yogendra Vikram Singh (Vyankat Pandey) and Rahul Singh (Jairaj; Ananya's husband) have interesting roles but are let down by the writing, and their stories aren't neatly wrapped up. Monica Chaudhary (Kavita) is quite memorable. Edward Sonnenblick (Robert MacCauley) is added for fun. Kiran Karmarkar, Utkarsha Naik (Leela Yadav), Leena Malodi (Maithili), Anang Desai (Giyasuddin), Saad Baba (Mallik), Kapil Arya (Pradyut), Piloo Vidyarthi (Kalini; Shastri's wife), Ipshita Chakraborty Singh (Vasudha; Vikram's mother), and Sunny Hinduja (Anant) are decent. Shriya Pilgaonkar (Rukmini) and Aaditi Pohankar (Moksha) deliver strong cameo performances.
Mandala Murders music and other technical aspects:
MANDALA MURDERS is a show with no songs.
The background score by Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara adds to the mystery. Shaz Mohammed's cinematography is top-class. Vikram Dahiya's action scenes aren't overly gory, though the show is in the violent genre. Amit Ray and Subrata Chakraborty's production design is excellent. Kirti Kolwankar and Maria Tharakan's costumes are realistic. The VFX by yFX is generally good but falls short in the Ladakh sequence. Mitesh Soni and Meghna Manchanda Sen's editing is decent.
Mandala Murders Review Conclusion:
Overall, Mandala Murders is a compelling and bold thriller that takes risks by exploring new story ideas.
It has a spooky setting, complex storylines, and a creepy cult storyline that’s both unsettling and interesting. But there are some downsides too. The story can get too complicated, and there are a lot of characters, which might be hard to follow. Also, some parts of the plot don’t make much sense, which could make it hard to believe.
Rating – 3 stars.
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