There were many characters in Mandala Murders who, intentionally or unintentionally, got involved in whatever was happening in the Charandaspur village. There were a few who pulled the strings and were the masterminds of the entire operation. There were a few who became victims, and then there were some who were adamant about finding out the truth behind the murders. So let’s get to know these characters and find out what happened to them in Season 1.
Spoiler Alert
Rea Thomas
Rea worked at the Central Bureau of Investigation, and she was the one who was given the responsibility of investigating the murders that had happened in Charandaspur. Apart from the fact that Rea was leading the investigation, there was another thing that made her an integral part of the cult that operated in the village. Her ancestor, Nandini, was the one who had created that electronic device that was basically capable of bringing a person back to life and granted boons using universal energy. Rea was a fearless woman who was adamant to find out what it was that the cult members wanted and what connected all those murders. Had it not been for Rea, I believe that Vikram Singh would have been killed by the cult members. She put her own life at risk and killed the cult leader.
Vikram Singh
Vikram Singh had had his share of struggles, and there came a time when he decided that he wouldn’t stop until he found out what had happened to his mother. The police officer went to Rea and told her to make him a part of the investigation, and the former knew that he could be a valuable asset for the team. Vikram always felt that his mother was still alive, and everybody around him, even his father, told him that he was just wasting his time and energy. Vikram lost his girlfriend, he lost his friend, and somewhere he blamed himself for their demise. It is to be noted that he was living on borrowed time, as his mother had asked the demon lord, Yast, to save the life of her son. Had that boon not been given to him on time, his blood would have been taken to awaken the demon lord. I believe that if there is a season 2, Vikram will play a critical role in the scheme of things.
SHO Pramod Sahay
Pramod was a loyal friend who stayed by Vikram’s side and did whatever he could for him till his last breath, as he saw Vikram’s family as his own. Pramod was very attached to Vikram’s mother, and it was he who proposed the idea of finally going looking for her and finding out what had happened to her. Pramod was probably at the wrong place at the wrong time, because of which he ended up losing his life. The masked assassin had come to collect the face of Kavita Bharadwaj that was needed to awaken the demon lord, and coincidentally, Pramod also arrived there at the exact same time, because of which he met his fateful end.
Ananya Bharadwaj
Ananya had met Vikram before he and Kavita had started dating. Though Ananya was Kavita’s elder sister, she still harbored feelings for Vikram. She came from a privileged background, and her family had held different political positions in the village. But the main fact was that she was the leader of the Aayasti cult, who was orchestrating everything, and it was on her orders that the masked assassin was killing everybody. Also, Ananya was the granddaughter of Rukmini, who was the leader of the cult back in 1952. Ananya met her fateful end in Mandala Murders season 1, and she was not able to complete the ritual that sought to bring the demon lord back to the mortal realm and died while trying to defy Rea.
Kavita Bharadwaj
Kavita was Ananya’s younger sister, and she was in a relationship with Vikram. Kavita suffered grave injuries when a minister sent goons to attack Vikram, as they had gotten information that he had some incriminating evidence against him. After the brutal attack, Kavita went into a coma, but Vikram was hopeful that one day she would regain consciousness and their life would go back to what it used to be. But unfortunately, that didn’t happen, as Ananya sacrificed her younger sister to complete her ritual. It was a tragic end to a girl who wanted to live life on her own terms and who never harbored ill intentions towards anyone.
Jimmy Khan
Jimmy Khan was a vibrant character who had done a lot of research in cult practices and who had a fair idea about what Aayasti were up to. It was through his research work and findings that Rea and Vikram got to know that the Aayastis were trying to sacrifice the lives of specific people to awaken the Yast. The regret that Jimmy had was that he was never able to be there for his family. His wife passed away, and his son had to do the last rites since he was vacationing at a hill station and nobody could reach him and inform him about what had happened. He was a loving man, but he’d probably run away from responsibilities. Jimmy’s granddaughter was also killed by the cult members, as they needed her heart to bring the Yast to the mortal realm.
Kaivalya Shastri and Kalindi
Shastri Ji knew how to study the shadows. He was a really knowledgeable and intuitive man who claimed that he could communicate with the dead and also see the future. What people didn’t know was that his wife, Kalindi, was equally knowledgeable and played a far greater role than just supporting her husband. She had known that the cult members would come to kill her, and she was well aware that she couldn’t do anything to prevent that from happening. Shastri Ji was very good friends with Jimmy Khan, and his death shook the man and made him help Vikram and Rea in whatever ways he could.
Rukmini
Rukmini was the leader of the Aayasti back in 1952. She was a devout follower of the demonic entity, and she warned the villagers against demolishing their place of worship to build a nuclear facility. Rukmini knew that the moment the Yast was awakened, humanity would be pushed to the brink of extinction. She knew that millions of innocent people would lose their lives, but still her fanaticism knew no bounds. She was the grandmother of Ananya, who later became the leader of the cult and tried to carry out the same ritual that Rukmini wasn’t able to complete in 1952.
Anant and Nandini
Nandini was Rea’s maternal grandmother, something the latter came to know when she was investigating the murders in Charandaspur. Nandini was a particle physicist and one of the best minds of the country. Anant and Nandini had come to Charandaspur as the government had allocated them land to build a nuclear facility. The problem was that the Aayasti cult members had their so-called temple there, and they didn’t want the place to be demolished. Anant died in an accident just after the place of worship of the Aayastis was destroyed. It was Nandini who created the electronic device through which a dead person could be brought back to life after being influenced by Rukmini’s words. Nandini sacrificed her own life when she realized that the world would be destroyed if Yast came to the mortal realm, but before dying, she made sure to destroy the Yast’s vessel.
Vasudha
Vasudha was Vikram’s mother, who mysteriously disappeared some 22 years ago, never to be found again. The truth was, she had to go ask for a boon for her son, Vikram’s brother, who was in a critical situation. Her son had already died before the boon could be granted, and according to the rules of the cult, she had to be kept alive till that boon took effect and was received by a mortal. Vikram eventually got that boon, since he was also her son, even though at that juncture she didn’t ask for it. It was a mother’s love that saved Vikram’s life that day, as otherwise he would have been sacrificed and the Aayastis would have been able to complete the ritual.
Moksha
Moksha had all the qualities to become the cult’s leader. Her unparalleled devotion, her commitment towards the greater cause, and her fearlessness made her a potential candidate to take the cult forward and complete what was started ages back. She was the one who was sent by Ananya to kill the people whose body parts they needed for the ritual. The masked assassin Moksha is still alive, and though she was put behind bars, I believe she would find a way to come out and try to bring the demon lord back to life.
