Mildred Mendivel BSED-Social Studies 1 Understanding the Self

MOVIE ANALYSIS 1: SOCIOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL

PERSPECTIVES OF THE SELF

Part I. What is the docuseries all about? Describe the characters, the settings and the plot of the
series.
The docuseries are all The Burari Deaths. This series is an examination of the truths and
theories surrounding the deaths of 11 members of a Delhi family, 7 females and 4 males. They
were Narayani Devi (80 at the time of her death)-the grandmother and her husband Bhopal
Singh. Singh passed away in 2006, with the rest of the family remaining living. Narayani had
two sons – Bhuvnesh (53) and Lalit (47)-the one who possessed by the father. They were
married to Savita (50) and Tina (43) respectively. They also had a daughter named Pratibha (59).
There were five grandchildren. Priyanka (33) daughter of Pratibha, Neetu (25), Menaka (22),
Dhruv (15) children of Bhuvnesh and Savita, and Shivam (15) the only child of Lalit and Tina.
The Chundawat family or also known as Bhatia family by their neighbors had been living
in the two-story house in Burari's Sant Nagar neighbourhood for around twenty years, after
moving from their native town in Tohana, Haryana. The family ran a grocery shop and plywood
business in the area. Based on the descriptions of the people interviewed in the series the family
are very traditional/religious people and were close to their neighbors. At the center of the series
are the deaths of 11 family members, killed by hanging or strangulation in the Burari
neighborhood of Delhi, India. The hangings of the Bhatias, a seemingly typical, middle-class
joint family, shook India and hit national headlines in 2018.
This three-part documentary series explores what happened to this traditional Indian
family. This series caught my attention because of the number of deaths that happened. The
documentary is quite unpleasant and left me feeling uneasy. The series is fast-paced, a lot of
information and emotion is put into the three 45-minute episodes, which makes it hard to stop
watching.

Part II. Analyze the series based on the following social institutions:
-family
The family in the series is an extended family with three generations. The Chundawat
family resided in the area of Burari, which was part of Delhi, in India. They were a highly-
respected family in the area, and were well-known for owning a local grocery store. The family
were made up of three generations. The eldest members were Narayani Devi (80 at the time of
her death) and Bhopal Singh. Singh passed away in 2006, with the rest of the family remaining
living. Narayani had two sons – Bhuvnesh (53) and Lalit (47). They were married to Savita (50)
and Tina (43) respectively. They also had a daughter named Pratibha (59). There were five
grandchildren. Priyanka (33), Nitu (25), Menaka (22), Dhruv (15), and Shivam (15). There was
one other grandchild – though they had left the house in the years prior to the fateful events.

-government
Governments are important social institutions responsible for setting rules and enforcing
them to define how individuals integrate into society. Legal institutions help us to regulate
society and prevent crime, as they enforce law and policy. According to Section 309 of the
Indian Penal Code (IPC) clearly states as follows: “Whoever attempts to commit suicide and
does any act towards the commission of such offence, shall be punished with simple
imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or both.” But since all of
them died, no one will be punished.

-religion
Following the death of Bhopal Singh in 2006, Lalit Chundawat – the patriarch of the family –
became different. He stated that he was possessed by his father’s soul. He even maintained a diary that
provided a list of the instructions that Singh had ostensibly given him. It seems that Lalit believed that
his father’s soul had entered his body. Lalit apparently believed that his dead father was trying to
lead the family to salvation. In fact, Lalit had long-had this belief.
The family believe in the concept of reincarnation, he and his family members began to believe
he was the reincarnation of Bhopal. They do whatever Lalit said. They perform rituals before
they hang themselves and die.

-school
Education is a social institution through which a society's children are taught basic
academic knowledge, learning skills, and cultural norms. In the series, some of the characters are
studying/studied at a university. They even took a Master’s Degree which shows that they are
really intelligent people.

What can you say about the involvement of these social institutions in the lives of the family
involved?
 They work as the backbone of a society. Without the social institutions, a society cannot
achieve fulfilment in terms of economy, academy or relationships. When there are no
rules and regulations in a society, people are more likely to indulge in crime and other
harmful activities.
Part III. Analyze the docuseries based on the impact of sociocultural influences to the behavior
and personality of the family members.
 The death of the Chundawat family was a case of psychological conflicts that were left
unresolved and unattended because of cultural influences. The family depicted how
behaviors can draw motivation from the unknown and incomprehensive when reinforced
by external stimuli. It showed how coping strategies for a phenomenon, such as death,
can be misused. It also portrayed how family relationships, early childhood experiences,
and subject perception could maneuver and control a person's life.

Part IV. What can you say on the turn of events in the series? Write a concluding statement that
would show your opinion about the sociological reason behind the mass suicide of the involved
characters.
 Modern society can become indurate and sometimes heartless. There is no exception for
men or women; everyone lives in a box filled with standards that somehow become
everyone's map for what to do. The belief that men should be manly enough to handle
their problems is still evident, timely, and relevant to everyone. Many people are led to
think that a person's existence and behaviour can only be explained by biological
distinctions as a result of this idea. Many were made to turn to the occult in an attempt to
solve their difficulties due to these irrational ideas that rendered them blind Although
dependency on religion or occult occurrences is not a bad thing, people should open their
minds, as well, to accept professional assistance. As Jung said, religion provides comfort.
However, when failed, people should seek psychological help.