We just finished bingeing the Netflix documentary 'House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths'. For the uninitiated, in June 2018, 11 members of a multi-generational, typical joint family were found dead in their North Delhi home. There were no signs of foul play and this was a case that didn't fit neatly into any pattern that the cops had come across until then. A mass, multi-generational family, suicide was unheard of in India and the murder of 11 family members, mostly below 45 years of age, with no signs of struggle also seemed impossible to pull off! So, what was it? What caused the deaths of these 11 souls?
That is what House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths delves into and here are two reasons why you must watch this really interesting series!
1. At just three 45-minute episodes, House of Secrets is the perfect length to binge watch immediately. It'll only take a little over a couple of hours and you'll have the satisfaction of watching something genuinely interesting, if a little bit grisly.
2. The way the narrative unfolds is really nicely done! The director has told a very interesting and compelling story in just the way that it deserved to be told- helping us make sense of the tragedy as well as get an understanding of the family and its dynamics.
3. For a case that received a lot of sensational coverage in the mainstream news media, the documentary team presented it with a lot of sensitivity and zero sensationalism. It presented this story with the right mix of dignity, empathy, shock and, most importantly, without judgment.
4. Even though there were just three episodes, you get to know a fair amount about the Bhatia family, their history and some of the underlying drivers of the dynamics within this complicated, interesting family.
5. I also liked the sense of community that came across in this documentary. Much like its depiction in popular culture, Burari is a typical North Delhi middle-to-lower-middle class neighbourhood where houses touch each other and neighbours are like family. The way the Bhatia's neighbours spoke of them- their shock, grief and pain was so evident, which showed how close they all were.
6. I liked the various people the documentary makers spoke to. From folks involved directly with the investigation to those who reported on it extensively and certain subject matter experts and mental health professionals. It was a good mix of objective and subjective opinions.
7. I also appreciated that we got fleeting glimpses of these 11 people as people, and not just victims of a garish death. They were real people, with hopes and dreams and flaws and stories. Even Lalit was shown to be more than just this despot. He was complicated, had his own issues and traumas- stuff for which he should've consulted with a psychologist or a psychiatrist.
8. One has to give a shout-out to the Delhi Police in this case! The way they stayed calm and held their own against the tide of media sensationalism is truly commendable. There was a lot of pressure from the disbelieving family and mischief makers to classify these deaths as murder and yet the Delhi Police stayed calm, followed the investigation where it led them and solved this case.
9. This case was also interesting because the Delhi Police conducted a Psychological Autopsy. Essentially, a state-of-the-mind analysis of the victims to find triggers that can answer the 'why now' question. So impressed and proud that these investigative techniques are being used in India!
10. The documentary raises a very important question about Lalit's motivation. Was it mental illness? A response to trauma. A prolonged case of psychosis. Or were some of his instructions self-serving? A power trip. Things that benefitted him and his wife...a way to keep an upper hand in the family. I am sure I'll be thinking about this for a long, long time. And as someone with a background in Clinical Psychology, I wonder how much of this tragedy was shaped by an untreated mental illness? And if timely help from a trained professional could have changed the outcome for this family...and if someone, anyone from these eleven people had spoken to a friend or well-wisher and confided about what was going on here, would they have survived?
The show leaves you with a sense of quiet disbelief. The fact that something like this happened, in Delhi, in 2018 and in a family of educated people will leave you stumped. Yet..fact is stranger than fiction. Of course this happened. Of course a family adhered steadfastly to this big, unspeakable secret and went along with a lurid, ridiculous ritual!
Don't we all have that one thing in our families that we don't ever talk to outsiders about? Things we keep within the family. Even those of us prone to over sharing keep certain things within the confines of our immediate circle? So, if you stop and think about it, of course the Bhatias kept this whole circus to themselves and never let a word slip out about it. This was their normal. Their family. For the kids in this house, this is what they grew up with. They knew no other kind of life. They knew no other reality.
Do watch House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths on Netflix. It will give you a lot to think about and the case will stay with you hours after the documentary's final credits roll.
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