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Timeline

Mantra (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 90 mins · Hindi
Directed by
Nicholas Kharkongor
Starring
Rohan Joshi, Adil Hussain, Kalki Koechlin, Rajat Kapoor, Shiv Panditt, Shantanu Bhamare

Set in 2004, during India’s ‘India Shining’ campaign, this film explores the impact of economic globalization on one family. It follows Kapil Kapoor, the founder of a popular snack brand from the era of the ‘License Raj,’ as he struggles to maintain his business against a powerful multinational corporation. As Kapil fights to save his company, his family also faces personal challenges, reflecting the broader societal shifts occurring in New India.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (14)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Mantra (2017)

Where can you watch Mantra? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Plex, Amazon Video and Apple TV Store: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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14 events in order · contains spoilers

Mantra Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Mantra (2017) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Mantra relocates to Hyderabad for a software job

    Mantra moves to Hyderabad to take up a job in a software company. She hails from a background of living in hostels after losing her parents, and she hopes to settle into a regular life in the new city.

    Where
    Hyderabad, India
  2. Taxi driver proposes paying guest arrangement

    Upon arrival, a taxi driver approaches her and appears to be an assistant from her employer. He suggests she stay as a paying guest at an elderly couple's home in the city, rather than a hostel. Mantra considers the offer and contemplates her options.

    Where
    City of Hyderabad
  3. Mantra moves in with Ramarao and his wife

    Mantra agrees to stay with the elderly couple Ramarao and his wife who are friendly and welcoming. She starts her job and settles into the new routine under their roof. The home becomes a temporary sanctuary as she navigates her life in the city.

    Where
    Elderly couple's home, Hyderabad
  4. She senses someone following her

    As she settles in, Mantra begins to feel that someone is following her with the intent to kill. The threat she perceives adds tension to her daily routine and colors her interactions with others. The fear remains a recurring undercurrent.

    Where
    Elderly couple's home, Hyderabad
  5. Police confront her; it's a prank by Vijay

    A team of police confronts Mantra, accusing her of involvement in a scandal. It is later revealed that the accusation is a prank by her ex-classmate Vijay, who has become a police officer in Hyderabad. The confrontation complicates her relationship with Vijay and raises questions about trust.

    Where
    Hyderabad
  6. Vijay becomes a friend and introduces her to his family

    Mantra and Vijay’s friendship grows, and he introduces her to his family with an intent toward marriage. This development deepens Mantra’s ties to the city and to Vijay’s world of relatives and expectations. The moment marks a shift from suspicion to closeness.

    Where
    Vijay's home
  7. Mantra shares her experiences of threats

    Mantra opens up about encounters with people who have tried to kill her. She recounts the fear and odd incidents she has endured since arriving in Hyderabad. The disclosures bring her closer to Vijay as he pledges to help her.

    Where
    Vijay's home
  8. Vijay uncovers the house’s murder-linked mystery

    Vijay investigates and discovers that Mantra is living in a home entangled in a murder investigation. He and Mantra return to her accommodation with a file containing photographs of the elderly couple and the driver who first approached her. The discovery ties her current residence to dark past events.

    Where
    Elderly couple's home / crime files
  9. The group enters the house and realizes it is haunted

    Together they enter the house and the others realize it is ghost-infested. Desperate to escape, they try to flee but doors close, trapping them inside. They discover the home lacks reception and cannot call for help, heightening the danger.

    Where
    Elderly couple's home, Hyderabad
  10. A member dies from shock after seeing Mantra’s photo

    During the fear-filled ordeal, one member is killed purely from shock when shown a photograph of Mantra, underscoring the house’s deadly grip. The casualty increases the urgency of leaving the haunted space. This incident confirms the peril they face is real.

    Where
    Haunted house, Hyderabad
  11. A letter reveals Mantra’s true parentage

    The haunting culminates with a ghostly revelation: a letter reveals that Mantra is the daughter of the elderly couple who owned the house. It discloses that she is one of twins, and that Anjali was the other daughter who died earlier. This backstory reframes the entire living arrangement.

    Where
    Haunted house, Hyderabad
  12. Past tragedy surfaces: Ramarao’s brother kills the couple

    Backstory explains that Ramarao’s younger brother had plotted to claim the family wealth and killed Ramarao and his wife. Mantra’s presence in the house is tied to this dangerous history and the family’s attempt to keep the other daughter close. The murder remains a central motive in the haunting.

    Where
    Past events in family mansion
  13. Ramarao’s soul possesses Mantra and kills the brother

    In the climax, Ramarao’s soul possesses Mantra and carries out the killed brother. The supernatural intervention resolves part of the deadly feud and vindicates Mantra’s lineage. The possession marks the turning point of the haunting.

    Where
    Haunted house, Hyderabad
  14. Mantra and Vijay escape and begin a new life

    With the danger behind them, Vijay and Mantra embrace and leave the house together. They step out into the world as allies who have faced a ghost-infested past and survived. The couple looks toward a future that blends trust, family, and resilience.

    Where
    Outside the house, Hyderabad

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:42

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Timeline questions answered

Mantra Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Mantra (2017): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why was Mantra being followed in Hyderabad?

Mantra was being followed because she was unknowingly staying in a house connected to a murder. The elderly couple Ramarao and his wife had been killed by Ramarao's younger brother to seize the family wealth. When Mantra arrived as a paying guest, the brother saw her as a threat because she was the daughter of the family's old friends and rightful heir to the property, making her presence dangerous to his plans.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Mantra senses someone following her with intent to kill, which turns out to be Ramarao's brother trying to eliminate her.

  • mantra followed hyderabad threats house murder
Q2

Who was the taxi driver who picked up Mantra?

The taxi driver was an associate of Ramarao's family, sent to bring Mantra to the house where the elderly couple lived. He was part of the scheme to keep Mantra close and safe after her parents died, though his true role isn't fully detailed in the story.

  • taxi driver ramarao elderly couple paying guest
Q3

What was the connection between Mantra and the elderly couple?

Mantra was the daughter of Ramarao's family friends, born as twins with a girl named Anjali. After a tragedy killed Anjali and orphaned Mantra, Ramarao and his wife took her in and arranged for her to stay in their home as a paying guest without revealing her true identity.

  • mantra ramarao connection true identity twins anjali
Q4

What happened to Anjali, Mantra's twin sister?

Anjali was Mantra's twin sister who died in a tragedy that also killed Mantra's parents. The letter revealed that Anjali's death left Mantra an orphan, which is why Ramarao and his wife felt responsible for protecting her.

  • mantra twin sister anjali death tragedy
Q5

Why did Ramarao's brother kill him and his wife?

Ramarao's younger brother killed him and his wife to seize the family wealth and inheritance. After the murder, he learned that another daughter (Mantra) had survived as an orphan, making her a potential claimant to the family property, which is why he later tried to kill her.

  • ramarao brother murder inheritance family wealth
Q6

How could Ramarao's soul possess Mantra?

The film uses supernatural logic where Ramarao's spirit, bound by vengeance and the need to protect his surviving daughter, was able to possess Mantra's body. This allowed him to kill his own brother and fulfill his quest for justice from beyond the grave.

Foreshadowing: The house is established as haunted, with doors closing on their own and supernatural events occurring throughout.

  • ramarao soul possession ghost supernatural climax
Q7

Why did Mantra's photograph kill someone?

The photograph of Mantra triggered a deadly reaction because the house was haunted by Ramarao's vengeful spirit. When someone saw the photo, the shock and the supernatural presence in the house combined to cause death, demonstrating the malevolent power of the ghost.

  • mantra photograph death shock haunted house
Q8

Why did Vijay prank Mantra with police?

Vijay, Mantra's former classmate who became a police officer in Hyderabad, orchestrated the police confrontation as a prank to reconnect with her. The accusation of involvement in a scandal was fake, designed to surprise her and break the ice between them after years apart.

Foreshadowing: Vijay is described as someone who 'has teased her about everything and nothing' in the past.

  • vijay police prank scandal hyderabad classmate
Q9

What was the murder investigation linked to the house?

The house was connected to the murder of Ramarao and his wife, who had been killed by Ramarao's younger brother. When Vijay investigated, he found a file with photographs linking the elderly couple and the taxi driver to this murder, revealing why the house felt ominous and why Mantra was in danger.

  • house murder investigation ramarao brother file
Q10

Why did Ramarao's brother want Mantra dead?

Ramarao's brother wanted Mantra dead because she was the surviving daughter of the family friends and rightful heir to the family property. After killing Ramarao and his wife to claim the inheritance, he saw Mantra as a threat who could expose his crime or stake a legal claim to the wealth.

  • ramarao brother kill mantr inheritance threat

Movie threads

More Movies Like Mantra, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Mantra tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Supernatural family thrillers like Mantra

Protective bonds are tested by ghosts and secrets from the past. If you liked Mantra's exploration of a family haunted by its past, you'll find similar stories here. This list features movies where supernatural events force characters to uncover dark family secrets, blending psychological tension with emotional drama in a claustrophobic setting.

  • supernatural
  • family secrets
  • psychological
  • unraveling past
  • protective
  • cathartic
  • Tone: tense, melancholic, protective
  • Pacing: steady, investigative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically begin with a sense of encroaching unease or a supernatural presence that seems personally targeted. The plot unfolds as an investigation, not just into the supernatural phenomenon, but into the family's own history, leading to a climactic revelation of a hidden tragedy—such as a death, betrayal, or crime—that fuels the haunting. The resolution often involves confronting this truth, leading to a cathartic but bittersweet release.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a core premise where the supernatural is a metaphor for unresolved trauma. They blend the tension of a thriller with the heavy emotional weight of a family drama, creating a specific, claustrophobic vibe where the scares are deeply personal.

Slow burn tense thrillers like Mantra

A steady, oppressive tension that builds towards a devastating truth. For viewers who appreciated the steadily mounting tension and claustrophobic atmosphere of Mantra, this list highlights similar slow burn thrillers. These films build dread methodically, often within a confined setting, leading to a heavy emotional payoff and a revelation that recontextualizes everything.

  • slow burn
  • claustrophobic
  • tense
  • anxious
  • ominous
  • psychological thriller
  • Tone: tense, anxious, ominous
  • Pacing: steady, slow burn
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread unfold deliberately, establishing a baseline of normalcy that is slowly eroded by unsettling details and a growing sense of wrongness. The plot avoids major action set pieces in favor of psychological pressure and character-driven suspense. The climax is typically a revelation or confrontation that has been carefully foreshadowed, delivering a powerful emotional or psychological impact after the sustained build-up.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their shared approach to pacing and mood. They prioritize atmosphere and psychological tension over fast-paced action, creating a specific viewing experience for audiences who enjoy feeling a sense of dread that is earned through careful, steady storytelling.

Every angle

Mantra (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Mantra in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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