Today's episode still revolves around the issue of women empowerment and as much as I would like to list down my opinions on it, that is a question for another day. The episode got us (Noor, Sarcy and myself) talking, that's for sure. However for us, the highlight of the episode was not about the social issue being discussed, but rather who was chosen to carry the banner. Om would have been the most obvious choice, Shivaay too in a way. But choosing instead to have the eternal playboy bring up the issue is interesting, to say the least. Rudra is the star here, the episode showing us the contradictions in his character. A joker on the outside, a playboy for the world, thought to be insensitive in regards-to girls, but is he really though?
Rudra is sensitive, but more than just in the emotional sense. He is sensitive to his surroundings. Emphatic. He is the one most affected by the issues brought up by Mallika. So much so that he feels concerned over the fate of the women in his family, wondering whether the same issue affects them too. He actually thought of whether his mother had to sacrifice her life, her dreams for the family. He was also sensible enough to take proactive action in tackling his concerns instead of talking about it pointlessly like Shivaay and Om did. They spent all that time arguing, but are actually more concerned at proving the other wrong than to actually discuss the matter. Rudra, on the other hand, genuinely feels the importance of the issue, with regards to the ladies of the house, and is the one that suggested asking the ladies about it rather than letting the men dictate whether it was a matter worth arguing or not. He feels so strongly about it in fact that he spoke up for his mother, against his father. For someone like Rudra,who has not been very much appreciated by Tej and is intimidated by him, that was a huge step for him to take. While Om spoke up about it as well, his arguments are more tangled in his pent up feelings for Tej and thus, unlike Rudra, he was not as objective as he should have been.
Rudra has also shown himself to be very analytical if he wants to be. When confronted with Mallika's concerns for example, he was sensible and analytical enough to recognise her feelings, how justified it is for her to be feeling that way and he lends his support to her. He was even able to think beyond Mallika and recognise that her concerns are more than just the conflicted, personal ramblings of a runaway bride.
If he is such an empathic and analytical person, so sensitive to the issues surrounding him, why does he persist in being a playboy then? Does the feelings of these ladies not matter because they're not family? In this case, I believe the fault lies more in his upbringing rather than in his character. He genuinely does not think of his actions as being hurtful to the ladies simply because it was never pointed out to him. His brothers know about the ladies and they tease him about it but that's it. They do not treat it as something serious and that influences his opinion about it. Besides, it takes two to tango. Rudra must've gained a reputation by now and yet it is still easy for him to get the ladies. Some of the ladies must've been interested in his wealth and looks rather than having any real feelings for him. I consider these dalliances as mere flings, both for Rudra and the ladies, rather than actual relationships. Shivaay and Om do not take them seriously as well or they would've have called him out on it. Om, especially, would have stopped Rudra had he thought any real harm was being done to the ladies.
One character trait that is consistent with Rudra is him being adverse to conflicts. Time and again we've seen him play the peacemaker between Shivaay and Om, quickly diffusing the situation to avoid their arguments from escalating. Being the peacemaker also means that he speaks up to end conflicts, not to prolong or contribute to them in any way. Rudra has learned to pick his battles. As a result, he rarely involves himself in arguments between other members of his family. In the matter between his parents and Svetlana for example, he chose to be quiet. He knows he can win with Shivaay and Om, getting them to move away from their arguments. The conflict between his parents, however is an entirely different matter. With Shivaay and Om, he has the option of staying neutral, of not picking sides. With his parents, he is bound to have to pick sides and this does not bode well with his nature as the peacemaker. In addition, the arguments between his parents are rooted in layers of hurt and betrayal, and if he were to get involved, he would probably do more harm than good. The more logical option for him is to avoid the conflict altogether and let his parents work out their issues on their own.
So there we have it, the complex character that is Rudra. We have always believed that there is more to Rudra than the fun-loving guy he portrays himself to be, and what we have seen of him so far are mere surface level details. The depths of his character have been hinted at before and now, his layers are slowly unfolding for us to see. đđđ
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