10 Shows Like Mandala Murders You Must See

Created by Gopi Puthran, ‘Mandala Murders’ is set in the quaint town of Charandaspur, where legend tells of a mystical contraption that grants boons in exchange for a sacrificed finger. In the present day, detectives Rea Thomas and Vikram Singh move into the town to investigate a series of bone-chilling murders, in which the victims are missing one of their body parts. The cops are informed by the elderly that the deaths seem to be connected to dark art rituals, and an enigma that has its roots in a centuries-old secret society. In the fictional crime thriller mystery, the tragedies that take place in modern days are connected to a dark, hidden past. If the Netflix series has you hooked, here is a list of curated shows similar to ‘Mandala Murders’ to help you choose your next binge.

10. Betaal (2020)

Helmed by Patrick Graham, ‘Betaal’ follows an elite armed force commanded by Vikram Sirohi (Vineet Kumar Singh) that gets tasked with clearing land in a remote Indian village to make way for development projects under a private entity. However, the elderly villagers warn that if the region is disturbed, those who have lurked under the surface for ages would rise once again and wreak havoc on the living. As a tunnel-clearing operation breaks ground despite warnings from the locals, an army of the undead led by a British colonel is unleashed, and Vikram and the survivors are forced to fight for their lives. The battle against the supernatural forces bent on death and destruction makes ‘Betaal’ comparable to ‘Mandala Murders.’

9. Through the Darkness (2022)

‘Through the Darkness’ is based on a web novel that highlights the on-field experiences of South Korea’s first criminal profiler, Kwon Il-yong, which he wrote along with journalist-turned-author Ko Na-mu. The series is originally titled ‘Agui Maeumeul Ilgneun Jadeul,’ and known in many countries by its true translation, ‘Those Who Read the Hearts of Evil.’ It revolves around the character of Ha-Young, who is encouraged by an official to become a criminal profiler, for having the necessary characteristics like open-mindedness, intuition, common knowledge, and a knack for logical analysis. As two serial killers walk the streets, Ha-Young is called upon to put his qualities to good use. Like Rea and Vikram in ‘Mandala Murders,’ Ha-Yound is determined to solve the case despite all odds.

8. The Following (2013-2015)

‘The Following’ by Kevin Williamson centers around Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon), a former FBI agent who is called back into action after Joe Carroll (James Purefoy), a notorious serial killer he caught years earlier, manages to escape from death row. Joe has been convicted of killing and mutilating 14 women before being caught. While in prison, he has gathered followers who demonstrate cult-like devotion, willing to take the lives of others as well as themselves to help him fulfill his ultimate objective of taking revenge on Ryan. The horrific nature of the killings closely resembles that of the ‘Mandala Murders.’

7. Adhura (2023)

From the minds of Ananya Banerjee and Gauravv K. Chawla, ‘Adhura’ is set around the remote Nilgiri Valley School, where harrowing and inexplicable events start taking place. Vedant Malik (Shrenik Arora), a 10-year-old new student who gets bullied by his peers, is seemingly at the centre of the occurrences. Things come to a head when the batch of 2007 comes back to the school for their reunion, and further enrages the supernatural entity responsible for the chaos. As in ‘Mandala Murders,’ the police come to investigate the events as people start to lose their lives.

6. Ghoul (2018)

‘Ghoul,’ created by Patrick Graham, surrounds new prisoner Ali Saieed (Mahesh Balraj) at a remote military detention center, who demonstrates eerie behavior and does not respond to questioning. To get information out of him, the top brass sends in young interrogator Nida Rahim (Radhika Apte), one of the finest recruits of the armed forces, who earned her spot by exposing her father’s anti-government activities. As the two interact, Ali stuns Nida by forcing his captors to confront their own dark secrets. Soon, it becomes clear to Nida that the prisoner has been taken over by an ancient evil. Carnage follows at the facility, with the officers trying their best to survive. Much like ‘Mandala Murders,’ the deaths follow ancient lore.

5. Aranyak (2021)

Charudutt Acharya and Rohan Sippy’s ‘Aranyak’ takes place in the fictional Indian hill station town of Sironah, where local folklore speaks of a monster that hunts during lunar eclipses. When a teenage tourist disappears while on holiday with her mother, outgoing top cop Kasturi Dogra (Raveena Tandon) and replacement, city-bred Angad Malik (Parambrata Chatterjee) team up to find her. The investigation digs up buried skeletons, as personal agendas, political ploys, and myths of murderous entities collide. The police procedural horror thriller thus resembles the plotline of ‘Mandala Murders.’

4. Kohrra (2023)

‘Kohrra’ by Sudip Sharma, Gunjit Chopra, Diggi Sisodia deals with the aftermath of the murder in the countryside of Punjab, India. A British-Indian bridegroom is found brutally murdered by the roadside a few days after arriving from London for his arranged marriage. As the investigation into the crime proceeds, hidden secrets of families and friends involved come to light, and the dysfunctional relationships reach their breaking points. Meanwhile, the two police officers investigating the case are forced to sort out their personal turbulent lives, which threaten to disrupt the investigation. The determination of the officers to see the case through brings to mind the resoluteness of Rea Thomas and Vikram Singh in ‘Mandala Murders.’

3. Sacred Games (2018-2019)

Based on Vikram Chandra’s novel of the same name, ‘Sacred Games’ by Vikramaditya Motwane follows police officer Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan), who receives a call about an impending threat to Mumbai. The person on the other end of the line claims to be Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), an infamous criminal overlord of Mumbai who has escaped arrest for decades. The latter tells Sartaj he has only 25 days to save his city from being doomed, leading him to a dangerous cat-and-mouse chase. As his investigation begins to make people uncomfortable, Sartaj is suspended from duty. However, he decides to pursue the case on his own. The intense noir thriller, like ‘Mandala Murders,’ has the police officer risking his life to uncover a secret that holds the fate of many.

2. Paatal Lok (2020-)

From the mind of Sudip Sharma, ‘Paatal Lok’ revolves around Hathiram Chowdhary (Jaideep Ahlawat), a cynical officer of the Delhi Police. When four suspects are arrested in the attempted assassination of a prime-time journalist (Neeraj Kabi), Hathiram finds himself facing the case of a lifetime. Among the four arrested is Hathoda Tyagi, an infamous hitman who is wanted for 45 murders. With his every move subjected to constant media scrutiny, Hathi digs deep into the investigation that leads him to the darkest corners of the city’s underbelly. Similar to ‘Mandala Murders,’ every decision taken becomes a choice between life and death.

1. Asur (2020-2023)

Created by Gaurav Shukla and Vibhav Shikdar, ‘Asur’ tells the story of a serial killer who disposes of their victims with bone-chilling brutality, and leaves their remains wearing a mask of a demon. As law enforcement officers scramble to uncover the identity of the perpetrator, they are taunted by the latter, who consider themselves to be connected to the mythical being that brings about the end of the world. The plotlines of ‘Asur’ and ‘Mandala Murders’ overlap in many instances, from police procedural investigation into serial killings to the involvement of mystical and supernatural elements. Nevertheless, the protagonists stand strong on their determination to solve the cases and bring light to the darkness.