Raman Goud

Jathara (2024) dives headfirst into the chaotic heart of rural India, where tradition and ambition are constantly butting heads. Raman Goud, the guy at the center of it all, isn’t your cookie-cutter hero—he’s rough around the edges, a little too stubborn, and honestly, probably drinks more chai than is healthy. The story swirls around the annual village festival, which is less about fun and more like a battleground for power, old grudges, and that simmering undercurrent of change no one really wants to talk about. You’ve got families jostling for pride, gossip flying faster than the local rickshaw, and, in the middle of this whole mess, Raman is trying to carve his own path. He’s caught between the pull of his family’s expectations and his own dreams, which—spoiler alert—don’t exactly line up with what everyone else wants for him. There’s tension, there’s drama, and there are moments where you just want to yell at the screen because, come on, why does nobody ever say what they really mean? The film doesn’t shy away from the grimy realities, either. Politics, betrayal, even a bit of dark humor, all woven together with the thumping energy of the festival itself. It’s not just about the rituals and the fireworks; Jathara peels back the layers of a community clinging to the old ways while the world outside keeps changing. Raman’s choices end up shaking up more than just his own life—by the end, you’re left thinking about what it really means to belong somewhere, and whether tradition is a comfort or a curse.