Watch | Have you been to Bengaluru’s ‘Rage Room’?
The Rage Room is booked during the weekends, says owner Ananya Shetty
| Photo Credit:
K. MURALI KUMAR
I just broke a television and it felt good. All the pent up anger from a mean comment a friend had made the previous night was now out of my system. At Bengaluru’s new Rage Room, I spent 15 minutes demolishing things — ceramic cups, beer bottles, thermocol sheets — with an iron rod and hammer. The objects to break vary according to the time slots chosen. You also get to smash televisions, refrigerators, microwaves, plastic, wood, and metal objects. The staff provided me with safety equipment, like industrial safety apparel, helmet, gloves and a pair of boots. Meanwhile the rock music playing proved to be a good background track for the scenario, and energised me.
Rage room, near South End Circle, in Bengaluru, where people can book an appointment to break beer bottles, ceramic mugs, clay pots, glass jars and metal items
| Photo Credit:
K. MURALI KUMAR
“I want to make it fashionable to say that I was so angry with you that I had to go to Rage Room to calm myself down,” says 23-year-old Ananya Shetty, who opened the place. “People with deep-seated frustration need recognition that they are annoyed and they have a valid reason, which is usually ignored in our need to be sane and sensible all the time,” she adds.
It is seeing a great response from people with 25 registrations a week on an average. . “The response has been great. Around eight to nine people visit during the weekdays and all slots remain booked during weekends. People are enjoying breaking objects,” says Ananya.
Reportedly, the first rage room opened in Japan in 2008. Then, it became a popular concept in Serbia, the United Kingdom and the US. In India, the first rage room, called Bhadaas cafe, opened in Indore in 2017. Then Hyderabad got its first setup in 2022, followed by Bengaluru.
In a society where we are conditioned to suppress negative emotions, what inspired Ananya to start this initiative? “Anger, if not addressed better, may lead to self-inflicted violence or towards others around you. I’m looking for a way to self preservation,” she replies.
To book a session, register online on their official website https://rageroombangalore.com/. There are several booking options, ranging from a five-minute slot to a 20-minute session. The trial pack starts from ₹99 a person and goes up to ₹600. Also, there’s a package in which couples can opt to vent anger together.
