'HOUSE OF SECRETS: THE BURARI DEATHS', Review of the Documentary Series Behind the Terrifying Story and Unanswered Deaths

Kapanlagi.com - HOUSE OF SECRETS: THE BURARI DEATHS has been a topic of conversation since it aired on Netflix on October 8th. This series rekindles everyone's curiosity about the mystery that occurred in 2018. A total of 11 family members were found dead, hanging from the ceiling of their house in Burari, Delhi, India.

This is not a fictional story, but a true story that has been turned into a documentary series. A tragic story that has never found understanding: Why did it happen? Eleven people, including a grandmother, 3 children, 2 sons-in-law, and 5 grandchildren, died simultaneously in the same way, hanging with their eyes closed and hands tied.

Trigger warning for those who have experienced mental distress, it is recommended not to watch this film. This is not just a casual remark about the film, as it takes a lot of energy to try to delve into the complexity of this family's story. Once you watch it, it can stay in your mind for a lifetime. Because, until this moment, this story will continue to be a mystery.

1. Chronology and Synopsis

House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths (Credit: IMDb)

At 05.30, the Bathia family grocery store should have been open. Moreover, the store is the busiest store in Burari, Delhi, India. However, on July 1, 2018, the store still hadn't opened and showed no signs of life from the Bathia family. At first, the neighbors thought they were running late, but by 07.00, the store was still closed. This became a question for the residents of Burari, as it was unusual for the Bathia family to not show any activity until this late.

A neighbor took the initiative to check on the condition of the Bathia family and was curious about the reason why they hadn't opened the store. Burari is a densely populated area and their store is considered the busiest transaction place. When trying to break in, this neighbor found that their house door was unlocked. He then entered and was shocked to see a terrible sight, 10 members of the Bathia family hanging pitifully from the ceiling of the house and 1 body hanging in the wardrobe.

The neighbor immediately went into hysteria and invited others to see the terrible thing he had found. Everyone panicked, and eventually the police came to the house. Their deaths were both unusual and shocking to everyone. All the families were found dead with their hands tied, eyes closed, and hanging with colorful Indian sarees.

It didn't seem like a mass suicide. However, there were no signs of stolen goods, violence, or damaged doors from forced entry. Everything appeared normal. So, what is the mystery behind the deaths of these 11 family members?

Directed by Leena Yadav, HOUSE OF SECRETS: THE BURARI DEATHS attempts to present all the puzzles and invite everyone to be immersed in confusion from the discovery of the deaths of the 11 family members to unraveling it again in three episodes of a mini-series. All speculations are presented in this series, ranging from death theories to circulating rumors. Everyone believes in the rumors they receive, murder, sects and occultism, or suicide.

2. Mystery per Episode

House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths (Credit: IMDb)

The first episode opens with the discovery of the death of 11 family members and the chaos of the locals who hysterically do not believe what they see. There is no longer a boundary between the crime scene handled by the police and the hustle and bustle of people passing through the house. The police and the deployed forensic team find it difficult to mobilize the handling of the case there.

Entering the second episode, the storyline begins to explore one by one the questions and mysteries surrounding the big news. Starting from the Indian media coverage and the theories that emerge in society about the Bathia family death case. Initially, the police classified this case as a mass suicide case. However, many people believe that what happened to that unfortunate family was murder. But the facts say otherwise, CCTV proves that no one else was involved before the deaths except the Bathia family themselves.

The third episode is filled with two perspectives that surround this case. The first is the belief in the mystical aspect of the Bathia family's death. This family is suspected of performing rituals or sects that kill themselves. This mystical theory comes from the many strange things found in their house. Starting from the discovery of ritual wood remnants and water pipes next to their house with an unusual arrangement of 11 pipes. 7 pipes facing down and 4 pipes facing straight, similar to the position of the death of the 11 family members.

Finally, an officer found a diary book of the 11 Bathia family members. At least, this is the beginning of the enlightenment about what happened to the family. The diary was written every day for 11 years and contains all the activities of the family members from morning that must be done and not allowed to do. From the diary, it was also found that Lalit (a family member appointed as the head of the family replacing the deceased grandfather) admitted to being frequently visited and possessed by the spirit of his father.

3. Psychological Side

House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths (Credit: IMDb)

The second side of the existing view in this case is the psychological side of Lalit who became the head of the Bathia family. Lalit is said to have a long-standing mental disorder. In fact, he is believed to spread mental disturbances to other family members, so they believe Lalit and follow all his orders. Including believing in the presence of the deceased father's spirit in Lalit's body and performing a ritual similar to hanging like a banyan tree.

Not many scenes are shown in this documentary film. Although the depiction of the deceased family is not very detailed, the story shown is terrifying enough. Moreover, the disbelief of the surrounding residents who did not expect the family to die. In their eyes, the Bathia family is a very harmonious and community-oriented family.

The chaotic story of rituals and mysteries in the house still remains an unanswered puzzle. In the end, the police could only classify the case as an 'Accidental death.' The cause was not found, nor was the perpetrator found. Although speculation at the end points to Lalit being the cause of this family's death, sufficient evidence and logical reasons for this heartbreaking incident have not been found.

HOUSE OF SECRETS: THE BURARI DEATHS has done its best to unravel each sequence of events and rumors that emerged, along with found footage recordings from the crime scene. However, this series still leaves a sense of dissatisfaction with unanswered questions, who is the mastermind behind the Bathia family's death? Did they really die because of the ritual or because of a murder committed by one of them?

This article was written by: Aditia Lestari

(kpl/mag)