House Of Secrets: The Burari Deaths Takes The Right Direction Towards Mental Health

It is based on the chilling, real-life story of the unusual case of eleven family members found dead in their house in Delhi.

Netflix's House of Secrets: Burari Deaths opened up a lot of conversation about the sociological and psychological aspects of a trauma and mental health in India. The three-episode docuseries is a compelling and emotional account of the true story. It also builds a bridge to the topic mental health. However, the finale is not reached.

The series is inspired by the disturbing, true-life story about eleven relatives who were found dead at their Delhi home. It doesn't miss a moment to highlight the unusualness of this story. This isn't something that is common. This miniseries merely retells the story using better visuals and details, while focusing on the most important parts.

House of Secrets review: The Burari deaths starts with the recognition of the deeply held belief that 'Ghar Ki baatein ghartak hireheni chahiye should keep family matters within the four walls of the house'. This is also true. Perhaps it's not right to say that there are three generations living under the same roof and one façade.

It also builds a narrative using testimonies from many people, such as family members, neighbors, journalists, psychologists and police officers, while at the same it uses testimonies of several professionals. Perhaps House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths is too involved in storytelling and loses sight of the importance of mental health.

Although a few psychiatrists and psychologists, such as Anita Anand, Rachna Johri and Dr. Alok Sreen, mention it, that's all. We see glimpses of them discussing why it is important to have uncomfortable conversations. This is something we are often unaware of in society. Mental health is sensitive and subjective at times. Every mind functions differently and is unique.

It's not secret that we as a community don't talk about it. This causes a lot of people to live in silence, not knowing how to treat it. You will see the Netflix series often mention the term "psychosis", which seems to be an adjunct to the main story.

According to the doc, Lalit, the youngest child of the Chundawat families, was the one who led them to what happened. It emphasizes the superstitious cause of the events, but it does not take a sociological or psychological approach to his mind.

It is easy to hear the question "Why did it happen?" being asked, but it is not answered or in the way it should be. You can see that even a psychologist is narrating the events rather than offering professional insight. While the series is more open to mental health than it actually covers, it contradicts its own assertion.

It also neglects to address the topic of deep patriarchy that was present in the house: 7 women and 4 men, with the oldest being a woman. Yet, what a man says is being followed and legitimised by the religious angle. The circumstances were such that the man was not in his right mind and the control was so strong that it was the only way to live.

The message Netflix's House of Secrets is trying to convey is lost in the midst of making a non-fictional story more dramatic than it was when it happened. Although it is a step in the right direction, it fails to stay there. Stay tuned to Koimoi.