RangRasiya: Analysis and Symbolism.

Hello, Aadab, Satsriyakal and Namaste to all our readers.  Yesterday we brought our RangRasiya readers a review of the show’s first week and now we bring you our special….Yes that’s right the Analysis and Symbolism of the week that passed by!!!!

 
The story unfolds somewhere near the borderlands of the North-Western part of Rajasthan and the series kick starts with a bloodbath leaving the viewers horrified. Feelings of outrage and disgust takes over after seeing the sequence unfold but the scene also leaves a huge question mark in our minds. Was it truly the BSD's who was responsible for the Carnage as said? What if the truth is nothing like what was shown? For all we know somebody else may be behind the incident. There is definitely more to this; what happened in the silence of the night still remains a mystery and thus makes up for an intriguing tale.

By episode 4 we come to know that the Monarchy system that prevailed in these areas was abolished completely. And ever since India got Independence and democracy came into play the Royal Families consider the Government and Govt. Officials as their enemies. Over the years they have successfully managed to turn the villagers against the BSD (Bharat Suraksha Dal) who irrespective of whether good or bad are tagged as "Rakshas". By now it’s almost established that the show has a feudal setting and such stories make for great TV viewing plus with the perfect amount of modernity-tradition conflict like in this case there is no 2 way of putting it except that this is a show to look out for.

We are introduced to a young Paro whose comes across as a very happy, caring and loving child whose happiness is short-lived with the death of her parents. In the few scenes that were shown what left a huge impact is that she does not understand what death is. She sees the lifeless bodies of her parents, she knows there is something wrong but does not actually realize that her parents are no more. She hears the elders talk about BSD and their role in Paro’s loss but it all goes right above her head. The way Paro cried and struggled to go back to her parents when she was taken away during their cremation and her asking her Mamasa to stop it because her Maa and Babuji will get hurt shows how naïve she was. She did not realize that she had already lost them by that point; she thought she lost them only once the fire was lit.

We are then introduced to a young Rudra who is angry at life and the reason is linked to his Mother. Rudra's mom has abandoned him and her sudden disappearance has left a huge void in the young boy's life which has made him a rebel. At such a tender age his life is filled with bitterness, there is a constant struggle with his inner demons and his helplessness to cope up with it makes the viewers feel for Rudra immediately. The scene between Rudra and his father Ranawat gives us a small but relevant glimpse at the degree of how much they were hurting. The pain caused by betrayal is mighty painful and it’s hard to overcome that pain, even the slightest things will remind you of the betrayal (Ranawat saying Rudra’s eyes reminds him of the woman that betrayed them-Classic Example).

First Meeting of Rudra and Paro had innocence written all over it. Paro seems to have more emotional stability than Rudra; because even though both Paro and Rudra had faced losses Paro recovered quite well in comparison to Rudra which is evident from the bus sequence. Even at such a young age she willingly throws her doll to him hoping that it would make him feel better. It was a spontaneous act one that shows that Paro thinks with her heart. The beauty of the sequence remains incomplete without mentioning the scene that followed. For Rudra what the girl did was a gesture he didn’t expect but when Rudra decided to look out of the window when the buses departed, he sees her looking at him and waving bye with a smile. Rudra was remembering his father's words and crying when out of nowhere this young beautiful girl went on and did such a selfless act; one that put a dent in his father’s “Seekh” about trusting beautiful women, because in that single moment Paro taught Rudra that beauty isn’t skin deep and that real beauty lies in one’s ability to bring a smile upon a crying face, in giving hope and spreading joy in others lives. With this sequence we finally see that Rudra is strong on the outside but is emotionally weak; whereas Paro is fragile outside but emotionally strong.

15 Years pass by right in the first episode- Great Move!!!! Because what little was shown of Young Rudra and Paro had served its purpose to the fullest. Paro’s dream sequence was beautifully done. Though Paro's age helped her cope up with the events of the past; the horrors of that day is signified by two things- BSD and Fire. The mention or sight of either of them makes her go pale. Paro’s character has been written with enough pain to comprehend that feeling, but not to the extent of losing herself in the process. This to an extent also explains the reason why the pain and fears in her subconscious mind resurfaces time and again when her conscious mind is asleep. 

Parvati aka Paro is a simple girl with simple dreams. She has reached marriageable age and her Mamisa hopes and prays that this time around it would be Paro who will be chosen for the Marriage for which the Takur-Takurain will take full responsibility, and that she would finally find true happiness. As expected Parvati gets picked by the Nag Devta as the lucky bride or should we say unlucky bride because unknown to the villagers it’s this Baarat that comes, which acts as the medium of exchange of arms and ammunition across the border; a racket that is helmed by Thakur Tejawat who the villagers worship and look up to. 

Enter Rudra who just like his name is associated with power and stands for rage and destruction. Rudra is a BSD Officer and one of the best. One look and him and you know that phrase “Kab Kya Ho Jaaye” is true. In the past Rudra was mocked at, punished and felt weak everything was beyond the little boy however things have changed because his profession and uniform is what gives him authority, the power and the respect that he craved for. The wounds of his past haven’t healed completely but as brutal as he can be he is not dead inside. The moment he sees the dead bodies of the Jawans, when he is told about his transfer, when his father does not pick up his call you can see the shades of various expressions flicker across his face.

Rudra and Paro meet after 15 Years…..A truly epic moment. The knight in shining armor saves the damsel in distress….Haan it’s a tried and tested formula but what’s the harm in using the same when it’s a widely accepted and hit formula? Paro is a very timid young woman who would rather ask help or plead to the goons to leave her at this stage than put up a fight. Just when Paro tries to touch her Rudraksh something that would ward off everything bad and put her at ease she realizes that it's missing but Bholenath had other plans because the very next moment we see her savior Rudra already on his way and soon in action.

Their first touch….he pulls her and places her behind him and stands in front of her not allowing any harm to touch her. An act that takes her by surprise and a feeling that sinks in her and scales to new heights (Right before the Rolling scene). For Paro somebody thought of her as worth saving, the guy had thrown himself before her so that she wouldn’t get hurt. Rudra saves Paro, carries her in his arms, helps her gain consciousness etc but the one thing that caught his attention was when Bindi tells the officer about Paro’s marriage. That was one beautifully captured moment and makes you wonder what about that line made Rudra take notice of Paro? While we can see Paro was relieved that everything was over, the storm that started to brew inside her is not something that can be missed. Everything that had happened to the point where she recollects that Rudra was hurt in the process of saving her paved way for questions and more questions. He was a BSD Officer, in her life BSD represents all that was taken from her life and somehow here he was the one who safeguarded her honor, pride and life. Rudra’s actions made her question her beliefs she was raised to believe that BSD's are ruthless and dangerous lot.

The last scene of the week is where Paro gives a face to the stranger in her dreams. The dream-reality parallels were tastefully done she has flashes of the burning pyre of her parents, her dream of being captured within a circle of fire, Rudra fighting with the goons and then finally saving her. At one point there was this shot where on one side she sees the BSD officer who haunts her in her dreams with the rifle in his hands and on the other the BSD officer who ran towards her to save her. It shows the conflict in her mind regarding the BSD Officers in general soon after Thakur's words "BSD aag hai aag aur aag janmi hi cheetha ki saheli banne ke liye hai" echo in her mind and she finally puts a face to the stranger in her dream.

The best is to be saved for the last and here it is “Khoobsurat auratein kisi ki nahi hoti.... Na Baap ki, na pati ki .... Naahi aulad ki” This is an advice or rather a lesson taught by Ranawat. At times certain advices given play an important role in shaping that individual, did this one have any hand in shaping Rudra's life is to be witnessed. Trusting somebody is not going to be easy for Rudra. In most cases it takes a life-time for one to cope up with trust issues and here the woman in question is none other than Rudra's mother. But Paro who has already successfully put a dent in this advice earlier (Bus Sequence) is surely going to do it time and again making Rudra question his beliefs because it's already established that Paro not only looks beautiful but is also the owner of a beautiful heart.

Coming to the Symbolisms!!!!

The Dream Reality Symbolism: Paro dreams of a guy with intense eyes carrying a Rifle walk towards her which causes her to stumble and fall; following which the guy who she notices is a BSD officer (From his badge) sets a circle of fire around her. Paro who is extremely scared of Fire and who has a set notion about BSD officers associate the two with destruction and death; but when the events of her dream is almost replicated with the fire outbreak (Bike) and the stranger running towards her what happens is the complete opposite of Paro's dream. Unknown to her the stranger was a BSD officer and unlike in her dream the guy saves her and securely carries her in his arms.

The Mirror Symbolism: This one has to be one of the most beautiful symbolisms I have come across. The mirror was gifted to Paro as a wedding gift and coincidentally it was this same mirror that showed her one of the biggest truths of her life. It is said that a mirror shows you the truth. When you stand in front of a mirror you don't just your reflection, you see the absolute truth. Here it was Paro whose gaze fell on the mirror. She sees this stranger who came out of nowhere fought for her and stood in front of her like her SHIELD, protecting her from the goons. The mirror does not show only Paro or Rudra, it shows them both together which eventually is going to be the biggest truths of their lives.  

The Blood Symbolism:  Like mentioned a zillion times for Paro BSD is associated with Death and they have the blood of her innocent parents on their hands, but in the last episode of the week we see Paro’s Choli sleeves stained with blood which turns out to be Rudra’s. Paro recollect Rudra getting shot in the process of saving her. For the first time a dent is put in her belief system when Rudra- A BSD Officer shed blood for her. For the first time Blood is not death but life. Blood represents the essence of life and here his was on hers like he left his mark on her which in a very twisted way affirms the lines of the title track “Rang Rasiya” (Rang gayi mein tere rang mein) the underlying meaning of which is how the two belonged to each other. How she is incomplete without him and he without her.

That brings us to an end of the 1 Week Analysis and Symbolism of RangRasiya!!! Looking forward to another interesting week until then…..this is Vijitha Rajan Signing off!!!

Author Vijitha Rajan