How Bhool Bhulaiyaa Brought A Mental Health Condition To The Mainstream

Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a brilliant psychological thriller that stands out for its intriguing narrative around mental illness, especially Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).

Ever since the makers of Bhool Bhulaiyaa announced the release date of its third instalment coinciding with Diwali, the film has been garnering attention across the country with over 69 million views on the trailer and over 200 crore box office collection in less than two weeks. While the horror genre remains a favourite among Indian audience, the film franchise is more than just a spine-chilling horror movie, especially the first part – Bhool Bhulaiyaa.

Directed by Priyadarshan, famous for many comedy movies, the film delved into a deeper narrative than just a horror story.Let's call it a psychological thriller that stands out for its intriguing narrative around mental illness, especially Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). The movie, when it was released in 2007 sparked conversations around mental health, though limited to the people working in the field of mental health. With the growing awareness around mental health, people are no stranger to the fact that there is no longer a stigma associated with them in Indian society.

Witheffective use of suspense, humour, and horror, the makers introduced viewers to a condition that, while often misunderstood, was depicted in a deeply humanizing way. Though, sequels failed to do the same.

What is the film about?

Bhool Bhulaiyaa, a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu, centres on Avni Chaturvedi (played by Vidya Balan), who becomes possessed by a spirit named Manjulika, a legendary dancer. At first, the film presents the possibility of supernatural possession, a common trope in horror. However, the story takes a psychological turn as Dr. Aditya Shrivastav (played by Akshay Kumar), a psychiatrist, is brought in to investigate by Avni's husband Siddharth Chaturvedi (played by Shiney Ahuja). His diagnosis reveals that Avni suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, DID, a condition wherein she unconsciously adopts the identity of Manjulika as a way to cope with suppressed emotions and trauma.

What is Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)?

According to Dr Alpes Panchal, DID was previously known as Multiple Personality disorder. He says it is a complex and often misunderstood mental health condition in which an individual's mind splits into two or more distinct identities or alters. "Each identity may have its own personality traits, memories, and behaviours. Patients with DID disconnect from aspects of themselves which at times is too overwhelming to confront for family members," says Dr Panchal. He further adds that DID is often the result of severe and prolonged trauma, especially in childhood, "which then serves as a psychological defense mechanism to manage distress."

This is exactly what we see in Avni's case when Dr. Shrivastav explains to Siddharth, “What you see as possession is her mind protecting her. Avni isn’t evil, she’s hurting. Manjulika is simply the voice of that pain.”

This line suggests that DID is not a villainous transformation but rather a psychological defence mechanism. Dr. Shrivastav also finds out in his research about Avni that she had a traumatic past when her parents left her with her grandmother and never returned to take her back. She would listen to stories and then the grandmother too passed away, leaving her lonely. The childhood trauma triggers when Avni is introduced to the story of a particular room in the haveli they all live in and how Manjulika is a ghost whose lover was killed by the ruler king. Avni starts sympathising with Manjulika. "One can see how traumatic experiences can manifest as separate identities, each personifying emotions the individual cannot reconcile within themselves," explains Dr Panchal.

Realistic depiction of DID

In a way, DID is a far more rooted issue than the present symptoms that the person exhibits. For instance, when a child endures extreme trauma, the developing mind may create separate identities to shield the individual from the intensity of their pain. According to Dr. Urvi Sathe, a psychiatrist and expert on dissociative disorders explains, "DID is a creative survival technique."

"When someone endures immense trauma, the mind creates a wall between painful memories and emotions. This participation helps the individual avoid distress by allowing other identities to take over in different situations," she explains.

In Avni's case, it was Manjulika whom she found another identity she resonated and sympathised with. As Dr Shrivastav in the film explains, "It’s not about possession; it’s about oppression. Her mind needed an escape, and it found one in Manjulika."

The movie uses this framework to show DID's psychological origins rather than presenting it as mere supernatural possession. "It shows how individuals, especially women in restrictive environments, might develop alternate personalities to confront or manage traumatic circumstances," says Dr Sathe.

How different identities are seen in DID

According to experts, each altered personality in DID patients has different purposes. Some identities may be childlike or innocent, and others may show traits like aggression, protectiveness, or confidence, depending on the individual's needs and experiences. Dr Panchal describes altars as a means of survival. "The alternate identities function as the person's way of managing emotions they couldn't otherwise handle. Each identity will have a distinct part of their history, experiences, and emotions," he says.

Dr Sathe adds that this fragmentation allows the patient to compartmentalise conflicting emotions that keep them detached from day-to-day life. "When triggered by specific memories, an altered identity may emerge to handle situations to protect the core self, or address represented feelings. This is what happens in the film as well when Siddharth denies Avni a market visit with his family. Her alter identity, which is Manjulika, comes out aggressively," she explains.

DID symptoms and challenges

According to a clinical expert in identity disorders, Dr Sumegha Singh, DID is mostly characterized by memory gaps, periods that we call 'lost time' and the feeling of switching between identities. "This is often beyond a person's control. Patients shift between identities unconsciously when they are triggered by certain stimuli. Many patients with DID are unaware of what their other identities experience, which distresses and confuses them to navigate daily life," says Dr Singh.

Additionally, patients with DID may also expect symptoms like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). "This makes their condition even harder to manage," says Dr Sathe.

Relating these symptoms with Avni in the film is when she thinks of herself as Manjulika and behaves like one, especially during the night. She wears Manjulika's clothes, and dances like her, "This is a clear diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder when they think they are someone else and behave like them," says Psychologist Bhupendra Sharma.

'Scariest' part of DID

Though experts refrain from using the term 'scary' considering it's a mental health issue and should be treated accordingly, they also believe there's no complete cure for DID, "however, multiple treatments combined together can improve symptoms and quality of life," says Dr Panchal.

Dr Shrivastav in the movie, goes into the roots of the cause of the ailment and also warns her husband that she may completely transform herself into Manjulika. Ultimately, Manjulika wants to kill the king she believes killed her lover. The film beautifully showed a way to treat the DID patient while going into the root cause of the ailment and treating the cause, just like how Shrivastav lured Manjulika (the ghost self) to the pujamandap prepared to kill Siddharth, who she thinks is the king and wants to kill him. Siddharth lies on a flat surface right in front of her and she is given a sword to kill him. At the time of killing Shrivastav inverted the flat surface and she killed the mannequin of Siddharth and got rid of her sickness as her revenge was taken.

"If you see, it was more about fulfilling the desire of the person she was identifying with. Once it's over, she can lead a normal life. So when we think the person needs to be taken to a priest or some baba who can take out the spirit from the body through painful methods is not a treatment. The idea is to find the root cause and treat the patient," says Dr Singh.

Depicting horror rooted in psychological realism

The movie ingeniously blends horror with psychological realism making it scary and thought-provoking. Unlike typical horror movies that mostly rely on supernatural phenomena, Bhool Bhulaiyaa drew fear from the fragile human mind. "The film can be termed scary but at the same time there's a thin line that separates it from typical horror as it talks about reality and illusion," says Rajesh Vasani, film analyst. He further adds that instead of sensationalising Avni’s disorder as an evil possession, "the film showed empathy toward everyone who struggles with the disorder with professional psychiatric intervention while also ensuring the traditional beliefs are intact when they bring a family priest" Acharya Yagyaprakash Barti, played by late actor Vikram Gokhale."

This distinction makes the film stand out among very few Indian films that effectively tackle mental health themes paired with entertainment and education. Out of India, some of the best Hollywood movies that highlight DID thought their narrative are Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase, Sybil, Frankie & Alice, David and Lisa, Walking Madison, The Three Faces of Eve,and Fight Club among several others.