Unpacking the “Bihariness”—Reflections on “Indian Predator
The Butcher of Delhi”
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22201697 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anup Tripathi (0000-0003-1467-2310, Flame University), Moitrayee Das (0000-0003-0586-4580, Flame University) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 222-238 |
| Publication date | 2024-04-05 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Changing Societies and Personalities (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2587-6104 • E-ISSN: 2587-8964 |
| Publisher | Ural Federal University (PUBLISHER • RU) |
| DOI | 10.15826/csp.2024.8.1.272 |
| OpenAlex | W4399052441 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 28 |
Netflix’s true crime documentary “Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi” (July 2022) follows the story of serial killer Chandrakant Jha, a Bihari migrant worker in Delhi. The documentary sensationally portrays his spine-chilling crimes, while superficially discussing pressing issues of police brutality and the dysfunctionality of the criminal justice system. The interplay of socio-economic conditions, the indifferent justice system, and its effects on one’s degrading mental health is what we seem to get out of this three-part series through visual and textual analysis. The backdrop of the migrants as a pathological problem vis-à-vis its interaction with the criminal justice system is emphasized by highlighting the “Bihariness” of Chandrakant Jha. The documentary refers to this “Bihariness” albeit tangentially, though fails to discuss the caste and class locations of these prejudices and chauvinism that is directed against the figure of the working-class Bihari migrant. In this paper, we attempt to unpack this popular narrative as a casteist and classist commonsensical social and cultural reproduction to understand the figure of the Bihari migrant as depicted in the documentary. We contend that highlighting the “Bihariness” of migrant workers is a form of othering that mainly plays out through their conspicuous laboring bodies, language, and their association with criminality. In doing so, we also intend to explore the dimensions of mental health and socio-economic and institutional interactions of poor migrant workers in urban areas
Archaeology · Biology · Butcher · Geography · New delhi · Predator · Unpacking · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Indian History and Philosophy · Philosophy · South Asian Studies and Conflicts · Ecology
Migration and Development in India
Improving Mental Health Access for Low-Income Children and Families in the Primary Care Setting
Depression in Mothers
Influence of Mother, Father, and Child Risk on Parenting and Children’s Cognitive and Social Behaviors
Displacement, integration and identity in the postcolonial world
Influence maternal background has on children’s mental health
The influence of parental education on child mental health in Spain
Labour Migration to the Construction Sector in India and its Impact on Rural Poverty
Bihari Identity
Exploring the changing forms of caste-violence
Pride and shame in the city
State-Migrant Relations in India
Perceptions of childhood relationships with mother and father
The Cost of Inequality
Hierarchy, difference and the caste system
Unsettled Settlers
Identity and Psychosocial Development in Adulthood
Socioeconomic Status, Family Processes,and Individual Development
Urban Black Violence
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |