Summary
Roudhram: Raudra is not the most memorable short film in this anthological series, but thematically, it presents relevant issues in the wealth gap.
This review of Netflix’s Navarasa season 1, episode 6 for the short film Roudhram: Raudra contains spoilers. We discuss the ending.
The fifth short film of Navarasa season 1, Roudhram: Raudra, tells the story of the crippling poverty that has thrown a family into disarray. The young boy in the family finds himself so angry that he heavily assaults an older man, which results in him being hospitalized. The question is, “why?” Why did he assault the man with a hammer, in broad daylight, in the street? What anger possessed him to go to those lengths?
The short film goes through the reasons, bringing flashbacks of this young man’s life. It’s a tragic story of seeing a family wanting to make ends meet; a mother trying to keep her two children together, while the siblings make light of the situation. Roudhram: Raudra is a stark reminder of those who are unfortunate and how desperate environments lead to desperate actions. There’s a flurry of emotions that shine through this series, are it’s probably the most impressive in direction (in terms of the way specific scenes are shot and lighting).
As for the story itself, it’s not complex or has any rich quality. Most of the time, we see the leading man (the brother) enjoying moments of good fortune, all the way up to him being interrogated by the police for assault.
Roudhram: Raudra is not the most memorable short film in this anthological series, but thematically, it presents relevant issues in the wealth gap.
Navarasa season 1, episode 6 – Roudhram: Raudra short film ending
In the closing moments of the short film, the brother finds out that in order to pay for rent and bills, his mother has been selling sexual services to a man. He recognizes the man, and he is fuelled with rage. When he sees the man again, he assaults him with a hammer. We later learn that his assault led to death, and it quickly became a murder case.
On the other hand, the short film has been following a police investigator; we assume we are following the same timeline, but it turns out she is the sister of the young man who assaulted the older man that wronged their mother. Flashbacks show the sister seeing her mother leaving the house after she sold herself to that man, and she was instantly upset and enraged. She had been taught that women could be someone in their own right.
The mother is dying as the short film ends. And it’s revealed that the sister has kept this anger inside her all this time. It’s pent-up anger. The short story shows how powerful anger can be and how dangerous it can be at the same time.
What did you think of Navarasa season 1, episode 6 – short film Roudhram: Raudra? Comment below.
