If you were intrigued by the chilling story in Netflix’s House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths, then you’re in for a treat with the new series on Jio Cinema, Gaanth Chapter 1, directed by Kanishk Varma. This gripping story is inspired by the infamous Burari case and takes you on a suspenseful journey through the mysterious deaths of the Chandel family, who lived in Dasharath Bhawan. In this series, Inspector Gadar Singh, along with his dedicated team and a skilled psychiatric doctor, dives deep into the complex case to solve it. The family members of the Chandel family have been found dead, possibly due to some superstitious ritual or perhaps a sinister agenda. The series keeps you guessing whether it’s murder, suicide, or a robbery gone wrong. While it doesn’t give a clear conclusion, it offers a fascinating look at how the characters go through the investigation, their motivations, and the challenges they face while solving the case. Now, let’s get to know the cast and characters of Gaanth Chapter 1.
Spoilers Ahead
Chandel family
The case of the Chandel family is at the heart of Gaanth Chapter 1, so let’s get to know the family members whose tragic story forms the basis of this series. The Chandel family originally lived in Hameeron Ki Basti Village in Rajasthan. In 1990, they moved to Delhi and built their home, Dasharath Bhawan. Dasharath Chandel, the patriarch, ruled the household with a firm hand. He believed in unity and insisted that the family do everything together—from managing a single bank account to sharing kitchen equipment. They even used a single phone to communicate, and they wrote everything down in diaries to ensure nothing was forgotten. Though they were tightly knit, they kept to themselves and rarely interacted with outsiders or invited anyone over. After Dasharath’s death, his youngest son, Jatin Chandel, took over as the head of the family. Jatin often pretended to channel his father’s spirit, copying his voice to maintain his father’s authority and ensure that the family continued to respect him. He insisted on following the rituals his father had established. Despite these strict practices at home, Jatin led a seemingly normal life outside by running a plywood business. He lived with his wife, Rupali, and their son, Kushagar, and they appeared to be a happy family. Jatin’s elder brother, Uday, his wife, Navina, and their mother, Kaushalya, also lived with them. The family also included Pinki, Jatin’s niece, who was engaged and set to be married soon after the tragedy happened. Even the family dog, Rambo, was a part of their close-knit life, but sadly, he too was killed on the night of the death.
Gadar Singh
Gadar Singh was the main investigator in the Chandel family case. Known as a troublemaker, he was still assigned to solve this sensitive case because he was the best at his job. Despite his professional skills, his personal life was in shambles. His wife had passed away, and many believed he was unfit to be a father due to his anger issues and drinking problems. After his wife’s death, his drinking worsened, which led him into depression. Throughout the series, we saw him struggling to gain custody of his daughter, Mini, from her grandparents. Manav Vij, portraying Gadar Singh, delivered a standout performance, capturing the profound sadness of a lonely police officer. Despite his personal challenges, Gadar Singh’s dedication to the case was remarkable. He was determined to prevent the press and even the police from leaking information. His investigative skills shone through as he meticulously searched the Chandel household, discovering crucial clues like the sandalwood at the homage ritual site beneath the hanging bodies and the wasp found in the dead dog’s burial ground, suggesting the dog might have been killed with plywood. However, Gadar made a significant mistake by prematurely declaring the case a murder and falsely accusing the housemaids, Hassena and Jabbar. This led to his suspension, but he didn’t lose hope. Despite being on the brink of despair and facing allegations that the mutilated bodies seen around the Haqiqat Nagar area were his wrongdoing, Gadar Singh continued to seek the truth with utmost determination. Although the season didn’t provide a clear conclusion to the case, there is hope that the mystery will be resolved in the next season.
Sakshi Murmu
Monika Panwar played Sakshi Murmu, a psychiatry intern at the hospital. Her portrayal of Sakshi showed a strong, determined character who didn’t let obstacles stop her from seeking the truth. From her surname, it was clear she got her seat through a reservation quota, which led to her being bullied by her fellow interns. Despite being excellent at her job, everyone thought she was undeserving, crazy, and just didn’t fit in. But Sakshi didn’t let the negativity bother her. She had some psychic abilities that helped her solve cases, both medical and criminal, quite easily. After the crime, when they found Kushagar, the young son of Jatin and Rupali Chandel, alive, he was taken to the hospital. Sakshi took charge of his care. While others focused on treating his physical wounds, Sakshi was more interested in understanding how and why the tragedy happened. She wanted to get inside Kushagar’s mind to find the truth. She even went to his school, talked to his teachers, and looked at his comics and drawing books to see how his brain worked. Through her investigation, she discovered that Kushagar had partial brain damage and had suffered a traumatic brain injury. Like his father, he also had epilepsy. Also, Sakshi lived in a house where the owner and her son were rude and abusive. She eventually fought back, left the abusive household, and started living with another doctor who helped her. Sakshi also assisted Gadar Singh in solving the case. She was the first to realize that Kushagar was killed by a black-clad perpetrator who had also attacked Gadar Singh. Through her investigation, she found out that Kushagar’s death was not natural but caused by the perpetrator injecting air into his artery, which led to cardiac arrest.
Haseena and Jabbar
Haseena and Jabbar were the housemaids of the Chandel family. When the police asked people to describe them, they were depicted with monstrous features. However, after meeting them, we see why people might think that. Actually, Haseena had vitiligo, a skin condition that people wrongly believed would spread to them. Jabbar, on the other hand, looked old with a beard and messy hair, which made him appear intimidating. Because of their appearances, the neighborhood and even some Chandel family members didn’t like them. They lived in the basement plywood warehouse of the Chandel house, which had no ventilation. To avoid suffocating, they made seven pipes that went outside the house. They lived there with Jatin Chandel’s permission, but eventually, even he asked them to leave. He gave them money and told them to go away, forcing them to live in a cemetery because they were so poor and had nowhere to go. The police eventually started thinking that Haseena and Jabbar had killed the Chandel family out of revenge and for the money. This suspicion was wrong, but the fear of being falsely accused drove Jabbar to jump off a train and commit suicide.
Satyawati Mittal
Satyawati Mittal, played by Saloni Batra, was the sub-inspector who helped Gadar Singh throughout the investigation. Honestly, I found her to be the least interesting character. She was always there, day and night, solving mysteries alongside Gadar Singh. She didn’t even go to her own home, always staying to work on the case. This dedication seemed normal until the end of the series, when it was revealed that she had met Jatin Chandel on the night the family committed suicide or was murdered. This revelation was actually confusing. Maybe she had been tampering with the evidence all along. Perhaps she was the one who killed everyone, including Kushagar, and even tried to kill Gadar Singh in disguise to silence him and stop the investigation. We don’t know yet. The shift from an uninteresting to the most important character in the series was quite a shock and felt a bit rapid and unnecessary. But let’s see how her character unfolds in the next season.
