‘House of Secrets- The Burari Deaths’ is a documentary series on Netflix that examines the death of 11 members of the Delhi family in 2018.
As soon as this bizarre news was aired the one question that came across people’s minds was, “Is it a murder or a suicide?” Director Leena Yadav took it upon herself to provide a fresh set of eyes to this incident, in order to enhance public understanding. The information used had already existed in the public domain but it was so scattered that it was important to combine it and present it to the people in an extremely sensitive way.
Police officers, crime reporters, and doctors who were involved in this case back then were interviewed to draw a clearer picture of the whole incident. Interviews of friends and relatives were also conducted to get a better understanding of the Chundawant family. This gave us an insight into their ideology and psyche as a family. Given that the incident had fallen victim to sensational reporting, it was very important to contain its objectivity and Director Leena Yadav was able to achieve much success in this area.
After vigorous analysis, the series concluded with the answer that the family had been a victim of collective psychosis. It was a case of accidental death caused by a ritual gone wrong. Therefore, their deaths can neither be labeled as suicide or murder. There is a thin line between Faith and Madness, the lines blurred for the deceased Chundawant(Bhatia) family which led to their heartbreaking demise. Lalit, the youngest son exhibited the symptoms of delusional disorder after he had a near-death experience.
His family swept the incident under the carpet and never discussed it again. Their sole agenda was to keep Lalit happy and unbothered. As a result, they started believing and following him without asking any questions. They were normal people who had untreated repressed traumas which led to this incident. This further probes one of the major flaws of our society- How we still treat Mental illness as a taboo.
Despite being told to see a psychiatrist post the accident, Lalit wasn’t taken to one. The thought that seeing a psychiatrist suggests that you are mentally ill is inculcated in people’s minds to such an extent that they are not ready to see beyond it. This thought process stopped Lalit from getting his PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) treated. This lack of treatment and acceptance was one of the main reasons for this fatal incident. Leena’s meticulous direction explores this angle with the utmost sensitivity.
The series navigates through the complete investigation and the psychological analysis done afterward. Providing us with valuable insights into the horrific incident. This also shows us the dark side of journalism. The side, which will just scratch the surface and come up with some sensational news to increase their TRP. They don’t care about the real facts; their main agenda is to be the first one to break the news. They’ve forgotten that this isn’t the fastest finger first, they are the main source of information. Therefore, they must remain credible.
The series explores all three angles with utmost seriousness and sensitivity. The main aim was to present this fatal incident with sheer clarity and Director Leena Yadav remained quite successful in doing that.
Image Credits: House Of Secrets: The Burari Deaths/ Netflix