At Chennai’s first ever rage room, hurl bottles and break television sets with a sledgehammer

Having a rough day? Grabbing a baseball bat and breaking a couple of televisions may make you feel better. An added perk? You can BYOB (Bring your own breakables)

It is Monday morning, and here I am hurling glass bottles against a wall. Next, I pick up a baseball bat and smash a television set and a row of tiles, followed by more bottles. There is something musical about the sound of glass breaking. As long as it is not in your kitchen.

At Moonbow Cafe and Rage Room (Medavakkam), Chennai’s first-ever smash room, you are encouraged to break things. You can help yourself to the paraphernalia on display in the room, or you can also BYOB: Bring Your Own Breakables (glass, plastic, and ceramic. No electronics). How about getting rid of that photo frame with you ex’s picture in it? Or in general, use up the clutter at home. Hurl, smash, go hammer and tongs at it.

Your choice of weapon includes baseball bats, a four-kilogram sledgehammer and smaller hammers.

A concept that first started in Japan in 2008, rage rooms or anger/smash rooms have popped up all around the world since and found popularity. “We launched barely a week back, and our slots have been full,” says Arun Sripal (24), who started the cafe and rage room with his brother Ranjith Sripal (28). While Moonbow is on the rooftop, the rage room is on the ground floor and includes two rooms — measuring 220 square feet with virulently red, yellow and blue walls — filled with breakable things. There is also a splash room that has been particularly thought out for throwing things. “Eighty per cent of the splash is contained inside that,” he says.

To begin with, ragers are provided safety gear that includes industrial suits, cut-resistant gloves, helmets, face shields and boots (It is advisable to bring your own socks). There are seven slots a day starting from 1pm. Four people can go in at a time. In the last few days 2,300 bottles, 20 televisions, 12 ceramic cisterns, 50 tiles and 10 tube lights have been broken, he says. “People are now requesting for bigger objects like washing machine, fridge etc,” he says.

Arun says they have onboarded multiple vendors to replenish the stock thrice a week. They also procure items from scrapyards. At the end of each day, all the broken pieces are sent back to the scrapyards where the waste is segregated.

The rage room is open to 18-year-olds and above. “We have also had people bringing in their elderly parents to experience this,” says Arun. While it is largely for entertainment purposes, he also gets clients who come to destress. “A lot of people have work stress. A couple of days back someone called requesting me to squeeze them into a slot as they had an off-putting week at work. It’s great to see clients coming out of the room laughing and excited,” says Arun. While this place is not an alternative to therapy, it does offer a safe space to destroy things, release emotions and have a cathartic experience.