Opinion ‘Aakhri Sach’ and the denial of uncivil religion

The web series explores, courageously, superstition and some religiously sanctioned practices that cause real harm. But it does not question – like the larger society – the basis for such crimes

Aakhri Sach explores the real-life 2018 Burari case in Delhi -- 11 members of the Chundawat family were found dead. (YouTube/DisneyPlus Hotstar)

Harish S Wankhede

October 2, 2023 06:23 PM IST First published on: Oct 2, 2023 at 06:23 PM IST

In the current political atmosphere, the discourse on Hindu cultural values and its ancient civilisational ethos has reached a crescendo. However, a sincere debate on problematic customary laws, rituals and belief systems that are unethical and disturb civic values is often neglected. For example, arranged marriage within the same caste is a preferred tradition among Hindus. Violators of such norms often face brutal consequences. When a Dalit person is engaged in such conjugal relationships, s/he faces extreme forms of violence and in many cases, the couple is even murdered or lynched. Ironically, within mainstream socio-political circles, there is overt silence on such incidents.

Caste-based discrimination, murders of women under the pretext of witch hunting, human sacrifices, female infanticide, marriages between humans and animals, rolling of lower caste groups over the leftover food by the Brahmins (practised in some temples in Karnataka), etc. are some of the rituals and practices that are against humanity and civic sense. They must be stopped. However, these practices are often performed under the logic of ancient religious and cultural beliefs, sanctioned under the traditional Hindu value system and therefore, are tolerated.

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Disney Hotstar’s recent web series Aakhri Sach (director: Robbie Grewal) is a courageous exposition of such facts. It demonstrates how an individual’s belief system creates a social psychosis and pushes them towards a terrible end. We see that Bhuvan (Abhishek Banerjee) believes that his dead father talks to him and directs him to perform familial and professional activities. The family members are also convinced that Bhuvan possesses his father’s soul as they witness that he speaks in the voice of their dead father and often falls into a trance. Though the family is a middle-class one in Delhi and its members are well educated, we see no attempt from them to examine whether Bhuvan’s are a result of depression, anxiety or mental illness and seek medical assistance. Instead, they fall under a “divine spell” and faithfully follow Bhuvan’s directives as the disciples of his spiritual power. Such blind faith becomes the reason for their untimely death.

Aakhri Sach explores the real-life 2018 Burari case in Delhi — 11 members of the Chundawat family were found dead. It was a horrifying and shocking incident that attracted the national media’s attention. While the case has been dramatised before in Crime Patrol, the web series looks more authentic and well-researched. It is a slow-burn as in the opening episodes, the series appears as an investigation of murder mystery, with elements of suspense and crime but towards the final episodes, it picks up pace and is more like a thriller. On a critical note, the storyline is scattered, the screenplay is patchy and the direction lacks focus. Especially, the viewers that have already watched the Netflix documentary ‘House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths’.

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Interestingly, by the end of the series, the audience pushed to examine the case not through the lens of the police investigation but as a psychological drama. While Bhuvan’s mental illness and family’s “shared psychosis” appear to resolve the central mystery, there is an apparent hesitation to question the irrational ritualism.

In every religious domain, there are sublime spiritual practices or cultural traditions that create collective social values and events, such as festivals. These demonstrate the richness of traditional knowledge practices and engage adherents, who can explore the mysteries and legends of the past. However, there are also rituals, customs and beliefs that are visibly irrational belittle human dignity and even threaten people’s lives. Such rituals are not just believed or practised by rural, “uneducated” people or by the conservative sections of society but also among urban elites. Often, the culturalists or the religious leaders, with the claim to protect the ancient knowledge sensibilities and the underground spiritual sources, fail to identify that the rituals are visibly irrational, insensitive and harmful.

The Chundawat family may well have fallen into such a trap. Aakhri Sach, while framing the story well, does not examine the social background of such incidents.

India today lacks an effective socio-religious reformist movement that encourages the development of scientific and rational temper to deal courageously with problematic cultural practices. As a result, the conservatives have hegemonised the discourse on spirituality and tradition.

The writer is assistant professor of political science at Delhi University