~ Produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Kukunoor Movies, and directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, Mrs. Deshpande marks Madhuri Dixit’s most raw, deglam, and quietly powerful avatar yet. ~
Mumbai: A captivating visage, with mischief in her eyes — yet this time, a perilous silence accompanies that very smile. Today, JioHotstar revealed the intriguing trailer for Mrs. Deshpande, a six-episode psychological thriller created by Applause Entertainment in collaboration with Kukunoor Movies, set to premiere on December 19, 2025. Starring Madhuri Dixit in a raw, de-glamorized, and profoundly unsettling role—an impactful shift from her celebrated on-screen persona—Mrs. Deshpande showcases her as a woman whose silence can be as menacing as her smile. Her performance is haunting, nuanced, and unlike anything audiences have encountered from her in the past. With its atmospheric tension and emotionally charged storyline, this series positions JioHotstar to conclude the year on an extraordinary note, fueled by storytelling that resonates long after the final scene fades.
Set in a world where appearances deceive, Mrs. Deshpande follows Mumbai as it reels from murders echoing the signature of a long-captured serial killer. Forced into an uneasy alliance, the police turn to the original killer, a gentle, unassuming woman hiding a far darker truth. As buried histories and subtle betrayals surface, tension builds through the smallest, quietest moments. What seems ordinary begins to crack open, because to catch the copycat… they need the original.
Adapted from the French thriller La Mante and directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, the series stars Siddharth Chandekar, Priyanshu Chatterjee, and a strong ensemble. Produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Kukunoor Movies, Mrs. Deshpande is a tense exploration of identity, manipulation, and the eerie power of a woman who says little—but reveals everything.
Madhuri Dixit shares, “Mrs. Deshpande is a journey into the quiet power of a woman who seems ordinary but harbors a dangerous mind. Every glance, every pause holds meaning, and exploring this restrained, intense side of her was both challenging and exhilarating. I’m thrilled for audiences to witness a character that’s layered, unpredictable, and very different from anything I’ve done before”
Director Nagesh Kukunoor adds, “The trailer gives you an idea for the tone of what the show is really about – a character driven serial killer thriller. In Mrs. Deshpande I’ve tried to create one of those memorable grey heroes who the audiences root for. And Madhuri Dixit does total justice to the title role and then some!”
Alok Jain, JioStar said, “Mrs. Deshpande represents the bold, emotionally truthful storytelling audiences are seeking today. We knew Madhuri Dixit was the one for this role because we wanted to completely break the mold. Instead of her familiar glamorous screen presence, she delivers a stark, deglamourised and quietly chilling performance that reveals a side of her craft audiences have never seen.”
“The series stands apart because it elevates the crime genre with precision, psychological depth, and a haunting emotional core. It also marks a strategic move to build premium, female-led crime IP for streaming audiences. At JioHotstar, we aim to bring stories that provoke and stay with viewers, and Mrs. Deshpande does exactly that,” he added.
Sameer Nair, Managing Director, Applause said, “The creative partnership between JioHotstar and Applause has grown stronger with every story we’ve told together. This year’s hattrick — Criminal Justice, Search: The Naina Murder Case, and now Mrs. Deshpande reflects our shared commitment to premium storytelling with scale, depth, and intent. With Nagesh Kukunoor’s masterful direction and Madhuri Dixit stepping into one of her most unexpected avatars, Mrs. Deshpande is a psychological thriller that subverts expectation at every turn”
Is she helping catch the copycat… or orchestrating the hunt for her own hidden agenda? Watch Mrs. Deshpande from 19th December onwards only on JioHotstar