Summary
In terms of Payasam: Bheebhatsa in the grand scheme of the anthology series, this is not the most exciting story of the lot.
This review of Netflix’s Navarasa season 1, episode 4 for the short film Payasam: Bheebhatsa contains spoilers. We discuss the ending.
The fourth short film of Navarasa season 1, Payasam: Bheebhatsa, follows an uncle who is envious of his nephew’s success in life. It’s a strange short film because what follows is this abundance of pettiness and discontent. It encapsulates this intense insecurity, which peaks at a family wedding. There’s a certain irony in the story in that it’s clear that the uncle is well-loved and liked, yet his weakness is himself.
Putting aside the simple premise, from a filmmaker’s perspective, Payasam: Bheebhatsa tries to capture the ambiance of a family event; the sense of celebration and atmosphere can be felt in each scene, which can be applauded in a short film with such a small scope. The leading actor in this puts his all into the petty nature of his character. I am fascinated by petty people, mostly because I can be one myself, so there’s a sense of enjoyment when you see what the uncle does, especially near the end of the short film.
But in terms of Payasam: Bheebhatsa in the grand scheme of the anthology series, this is not the most exciting story of the lot. It could have benefitted from being more dramatic and made the circumstances of the ugliness of resentment much stronger, much like the first short film.
Navarasa season 1, episode 4 – Payasam: Bheebhatsa short film ending
As the family wedding progresses, the uncle’s growing resentment towards his nephew Subburayan grows. He complains about the success of his nephew, and despite some family members trying to calm him down and appease him, he does not stop complaining and making snarky comments throughout the entire experience. This is a man that is at his wit’s end, even complaining about the land that was given to him (claiming it’s worth nothing).
Annoyed that his nephew funded this wedding, he decides to be petty when no one is around. He grabs a garment and throws over a large vessel of boiling liquid that the head chef concocted. When the alarms are raised that it has been thrown over, the uncle claims the vessel should have been covered as he knows a rat went inside it.
The uncle continues participating in the wedding despite wasting a lot of money by throwing over the vessel. Still, he seems more relaxed now that he has done something about his resentment, knowing full well it’s in spite of his nephew. However, resentment is not pretty. It can be very ugly, and Payasam: Bheebhatsa encapsulates how disgusting it can look from an outsider’s perspective. For a grown man, he looked wildly immature.
What did you think of Navarasa season 1, episode 4 – short film Payasam: Bheebhatsa? Comment below.
