Vaani Kapoor breaks silence on Abir Gulaal ban as actress makes OTT debut with Mandala Murders

After a successful run at the box office with Raid 2 earlier this year, Vaani Kapoor is now set to make her debut in the world of streaming with Mandala Murders. While the actor admits she is nervous about stepping into this new space, she’s also thrilled to explore a longer narrative format that allows for deeper character development.

“In films, you have only two to three hours where you have to create the arc, establish it and layer out everything in that concise period of time,” Vaani explains. “I was very intrigued coming into the long format, as it helps you explore as an actor. You get much more leverage to create more nuances, layers and get into the depth of everything.”

In Mandala Murders, Vaani plays a detective - a role traditionally associated with a tough and composed image, especially for women on screen. Reflecting on her inspiration and approach to the character, she says, “All this while, we have seen women in the thriller genre being very strong, well put together, they are assertive and have a certain demenaour. I love that and I have seen that in films like Mardaani over the years in our industry.”

However, Vaani wanted to bring something different to her performance. “I tried to make my character more real and relatable. I wanted to show not just strength but also raw vulnerability as she is fighting her own demons, while trying to be the best in what she is doing. She is a fighter from within, like how women usually are as they have so much strength,” she adds.

With Mandala Murders, the actor is excited to show a new side of herself and connect with audiences through a more layered and emotionally rich portrayal.