I was so pumped for this one. When the trailer hit a couple of weeks ago, I kept replaying that bit where Madhuri stares straight into the camera, all calm and creepy—gave me proper goosebumps. Madhuri Dixit as a serial killer? Come on, that’s the kind of casting dream you don’t see every day. She’s spent decades being the ultimate feel-good star, lighting up songs and rom-coms, so the idea of her playing Zeenat aka Mrs. Deshpande—a quiet housewife who’s actually a cold-blooded murderer sitting in jail—felt like a real game-changer.

It’s an official remake of that French series La Mante from 2017, where a locked-up killer helps cops catch a copycat who’s mimicking her crimes. There’s family baggage too—her estranged son is one of the investigators—so it’s got that extra layer of awkward, painful history. Nagesh Kukunoor directing, solid supporting cast, streaming on JioHotstar from today (December 19, 2025)… everything lined up nicely.

And yet, watching it last night, I just felt… meh. Kind of let down, if I’m being real.

Don’t get me wrong, the basic idea is still strong. There are a few scenes early on that actually work—Madhuri humming an old melody while doing something mundane, her face completely blank. That “normal aunty next door who could snap at any moment” vibe could’ve been terrifying. She went full de-glam, no makeup, simple sarees, even learned some Krav Maga moves like she mentioned in those promo interviews. You can tell she was trying something brave.

But somehow, the menace never really lands. She’s going for restrained and icy, which makes sense on paper, but on screen it mostly comes across as low-energy. I kept waiting for that one moment where her eyes would flash and you’d believe this woman has blood on her hands—but it never came. The rest of the cast isn’t helping much either; a lot of the dialogues feel like people reading lines instead of living them. The mother-son scenes with Siddharth Chandekar should’ve hit hard, but they mostly feel stiff.

Then there’s the look of the whole thing. Everything’s shot so statically—long takes in dimly lit rooms, barely any camera movement. The crime scenes don’t feel gruesome or unsettling; they just feel… plain. I get that they probably wanted to keep it psychological rather than gory, but there’s hardly any atmosphere at all. No creeping dread, no clever lighting tricks, nothing that makes your pulse race.

The pacing doesn’t do it any favors. Scenes stretch on forever—conversations that could’ve been sharp drag into awkward silences, flashbacks pop up and linger way too long. By episode three I was fast-forwarding bits just to see if anything would finally happen. Even the background music is forgettable; it’s there, but it never builds tension or pulls you in.

I think the biggest issue is that it plays everything too safe. It follows the French original pretty closely without adding much that feels distinctly Indian, apart from a few cultural touches here and there. La Mante apparently had this brooding, stylish edge—people who’ve seen it say it’s genuinely gripping. This version feels toned down, almost polite.

Look, I really wanted to root for it. Madhuri taking a risk at this stage of her career is awesome, and I love that OTT is finally giving our veteran actresses roles with some bite. But this one just didn’t click for me. Left me more bored than rattled, which is the opposite of what a serial-killer thriller should do.

If you’re a massive Madhuri fan, sure, check it out—you’ll at least appreciate her effort. But if you’re looking for actual thrills, maybe just watch the original La Mante on Netflix instead. Or wait for her next project and hope it lands better.

Mrs. Deshpande is out now on JioHotstar. I went in excited… came out shrugging. Here’s hoping her next dark role actually scares us silly.