Antakshari is the song game of every long train journey, school picnic and shaadi ki raat. One person sings a Hindi film song, and the next has to start a new song with the letter the last one ended on. Get stuck and the whole mandli starts the countdown.
Mandli brings antakshari online without taking the singing away from you. The app keeps the letter, the turn, the timer and the score. You do the singing, out loud in the room or over voice chat from wherever you are. The app never plays audio and never shows lyrics.
Here are the rules as Mandli plays them, including team mode and the two special rounds.
Kya chahiye: Phones and your voice. The app keeps the letter, timer and score.
Rules: kaise khelte hain
Setting up
The host picks three things before the round:
- Akele (everyone for themselves) or Do team.
- How many turns in the round: 6, 8, 10, 12, 15 or 20. The default is 10.
- Special rounds on or off. They are on by default.
The first letter is picked at random, and it is never Q, X, Y or Z.
Your turn: sing
The app shows the letter and a 30-second timer. Sing a song that starts with that letter, out loud. Then type the song's title or its first words, and tap the letter the line you sang ended on. That letter goes to the next singer.
- The typed title must start with the letter, or the app asks you to fix it.
- A song already sung this round is rejected with "Yeh ho gaya!": your turn ends with no points.
- If your line ends on a tricky letter like F, Q or X, pick the next consonant sound you heard.
- Run out of time and you are "atak gaye": no points, and the same letter passes to the next singer.
Everyone judges
After you submit, everyone else (or the other team) gets 10 seconds to tap Sahi gaaya or Galat. The song counts unless there are more Galat votes than Sahi votes, and if nobody votes, it counts. A Galat song scores nothing and the same letter moves on. The host can also tap Hatao to throw out a title.
Akele or Do team
In Akele, turns go around the room in seat order. In Do team, the two teams take turns, and the singer rotates inside each team, though teammates can sing along. Team points go to every member of the team.
Special round: Hero-Heroine
When special rounds are on, every 5th turn is special, alternating between two kinds. In Hero-Heroine, the app shows an actor's name and you sing any song filmed on them. The letter rule is off for this turn, and the letter stays the same for the next singer.
Special round: Dhun
In Dhun, the singer first privately types the title of a song starting with the current letter, then hums the tune for 20 seconds, no words allowed. Everyone else types guesses. The first guess that matches the title wins. If nobody gets it, the hummer gets 0 and the title is shown.
Points kaise milte hain
A song judged sahi is worth 10 points, with 3 more if you submitted it within 10 seconds of your turn starting. Galat songs and atak gaye score 0. A Hero-Heroine song judged sahi is worth 15. In Dhun, the first right guesser gets 10 and the hummer gets 5. In team mode, every team member gets the team's points. Ties stay as ties, and scores carry across games in the room.
Jeetne ke tips
- Keep a few songs ready for awkward letters like U, O and E. They come round more than you think.
- Submit quickly. Singing a short line and typing fast earns the +3.
- End on an easy letter for your teammates, or a tough one for the other team.
- For Dhun, hum the most famous bit of the tune, not the intro.
- Judge fairly. Everyone gets their turn to be judged.
Ghar wale rules aur variants
At home, one person keeps count and arguments decide the rest. Mandli keeps the letter, timer and score for you and lets the room vote.
Groups argue whether you take the last letter or the last sound. In Mandli the singer taps the letter they ended on, and the room judges it.
Some groups play with words or poems instead of songs. Mandli's Antakshari is songs only.
Antakshari online kaise khelein
Make a room, pick Antakshari and share the link on WhatsApp, or show the QR code to people sitting with you. Friends without the app join from the browser link with just a name and a colour. In Saath mode everyone is in one room and sings out loud. In Door mode, the voice chat inside the game has mic and speaker buttons, and a green ring shows who is singing. Nothing is recorded. If someone's internet drops, their seat is held. It's free with no ads.
Sawaal jawaab
How do you play antakshari online with friends?
Make a Mandli room, pick Antakshari and share the link. Everyone joins on their phone, the app shows each singer their letter and timer, and you sing over the built-in voice chat. The others judge each song with Sahi gaaya or Galat.
What are the rules of antakshari?
Each singer sings a song starting with the letter the previous song ended on. In Mandli you have 30 seconds; a song judged sahi is 10 points, plus 3 if you were quick. Get stuck and the same letter passes on.
Can we play antakshari in teams?
Yes. Choose Do team before the round. Teams take turns, singers rotate within each team, and team points go to every member.
Does the app play the songs?
No. Mandli never plays audio or shows lyrics. You sing, and you type only the title or first words so the room can judge.
What happens if a song is repeated?
A title already sung in the round is rejected with "Yeh ho gaya!". That turn scores nothing, and the same letter passes to the next singer. So keep track of what has been sung.