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Although on a superficial level, it was just a funny prank, and Soumya's way of getting revenge on Rudra for repeatedly calling her fat, I think this prank was actually used as a really clever way for the writers to highlight the fundamental differences in thinking and outlook between Rudra and Soumya.
Soumya, knowing that she does not have the ideal body and so will never be considered good enough by some members of society, has learned to fight against this and truly believes in the value of inner beauty. She places 100% value on what is inside. On what a person is actually like as opposed to what they look like on the surface.
Soumya probably just photoshopped Rudra into how she sees him- as shallow and weak on the outside as she thinks he is on the inside. To her, it's no big deal because she knows image isn't everything, it's only embarrassing if you let it be and don't know your own value. But Soumya has already been through people thinking less of her because of how she actually looks and she figures if she could get over that, someone who looks as good as Rudra does will be able to just brush it off.
Rudra on the other hand thinks that the only way to make people like who you are on the inside is to be perfect on the outside. His image is everything and he probably thinks that people seeing that photo of him will make them all hate him because he is the superficial. This is probably in large part the shallowness of youth, but also, perhaps on a subconscious level... Rudra has seen the consequences of looking beneath the surface in Omkara's struggles with drug addiction- perhaps this is how Rudra copes with everything? If everything looks fine and happy on the surface then that's what he'll accept as truth and deal with problems as and when they come.
Instead of bad writing, I like to think Rudra's jokingly brushing off of being shot and almost electrocuted demonstrate a fundamental aspect of his personality. Live in the moment. To Rudra, "Yes I was shot, I was almost electrocuted. I could have died... but I didn't. I'm alive so let's celebrate."
In part, I also believe he does this for his family's happiness. He knows they worry and he knows they have their own problems, so he doesn't want to add to their worry and so he is strong around them and acts like nothing affects him. Instead of being dramatic, he brushes it off. In his mind, if everything looks fine on the surface- if he acts like he's fine on the surface- then everything will be fine.
When Shivaay was struggling for life in hospital, Rudra didn't break down around Omkara or indeed anyone- Rudra went and hid in a corner of the hospital to express his grief alone. Soumya saw him "in the moment" during their first meeting in hospital. At that moment, Rudra truly believed Shivaay might die and so couldn't just brush it off.
I realise it's unlikely to come so soon and so expect the aftermath of this prank will be purely comedy, but at some point I would love a candid conversation between Rudra and Soumya where he explains why he is the way that he is. Why he places so much value on surface appearances and focuses on the superficial and the Here and Now. Perhaps explaining that he wants to help Soumya lose weight not because he thinks she needs to, but because he doesn't want people to avoid her like he did at Uni based purely on her outer appearance. I want Soumya to realise that just because Rudra acts like everything is fine doesn't actually mean that he is fine. I want her to be a true partner to him and for him to fall in love with her because her inner strength is there to support him and let him be his true self.
We already know Soumya is beautiful on the inside. I don't want her to change Rudra on the inside, I want her to help bring out something that is already inside him.
Who knows though, to be honest given the character development and depth given to Shivaay and Omkara, I'd just like to believe that there's more to Rudra's character than a useless dumbo dumbbell. These are just my thoughts on what could be going on. But then again, I'm probably just putting way too much thought into a character from a daily soap on Star Plus. 😆
Let me know if you guys have any thoughts.
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