Madhuri Dixit’s latest OTT release Mrs Deshpande continues to draw strong attention from viewers, but many may not know that the thriller has been adapted in several countries, including South Korea. The
Indian remake released on December 19, 2025, on JioHotstar.
The series, directed by Nagesh Kukunoor and backed by Applause Entertainment, is officially based on the French show La Mante. The premise follows a police investigation into murders that replicate the crimes of a female serial killer already behind bars.
The original storyline remains intact across versions, including the South Korean drama Queen Mantis, which premiered in 2025. That adaptation features Go Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon in lead roles and is available for streaming on Netflix.
In La Mante, the imprisoned killer agrees to assist the police under one condition: she must work alongside her son, a detective from whom she is estranged. This narrative forms the core of the Indian adaptation as well, which presents Madhuri Dixit in a new and intense avatar that has been widely praised.
Mrs Deshpande marks another major web series outing for Kukunoor after City of Dreams and The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case.
A review by News18 Showsha notes that the director once again handles the material with precision: “Nagesh Kukunoor, after City Of Dreams and The Hunt: The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case, once again demonstrates his fluency with OTT-coded storytelling. The series is mounted aptly, and it rarely feels padded. More importantly, the pace pulls you inward like an undertow.”
The review further reads, “The narrative keeps itself curious and alert, exploring characters whose roles may not seem pivotal at first, but who end up forming essential parts of the larger machinery. The cinematography is top-notch, giving the show an aesthetic clarity that suits its cold procedural spine… The opening theme, composed by Tapas Relia, stands out in particular, a sonic signature that settles into the show like an omen.”
