Mantra 2017

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.