Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, was one of the biggest hits of 2023, earning over ₹912 crore worldwide. The film, however, also sparked a lot of controversy for its portrayal of violence and misogyny in a romantic relationship. While some praised the film for its bold and realistic depiction of human emotions, others slammed it for glorifying abuse and toxic masculinity.
Among the critics of the film was actress Taapsee Pannu, who recently opened up about her views on Animal in an interview with Raj Shamani on his YouTube channel. The actress, who is known for her outspoken and fearless attitude, said that she had not seen the film, but had heard enough about it from others. She said that she would never do a film like Animal, as she believes that as a star, she has a responsibility to use her soft power wisely and keep the reality of society in mind.
She said, “Look, I am not an extremist, so I agree to disagree to a lot of people… don’t compare it to Hollywood and say ‘If you liked Gone Girl, how can you not like Animal’? You are catering to a different audience. In Hollywood, people don’t start copying actors’ hairstyles from movies or using a film’s line in real life. They also don’t start stalking women after seeing it in a movie. But all this happens in our country. This is our reality. You cannot compare our film industries with Hollywood and say ‘Why are these pseudos talking like this about Animal when they can enjoy Gone Girl as an art’? Understand the difference.”
She further added, “Keeping the reality (of society) in mind, I need to exercise my power because Bollywood or being a star and actor gives you that soft power. And with power comes responsibility. So it is my opinion, and I am not one of those, who will tell XYZ actors that they should not do these films. They have their own choice; we are in a free country and we have a freedom of choice. I wouldn’t do it (Animal) is what I am saying. People should not be influenced by films and have their moral compass.”
Taapsee’s comment comes after veteran writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar expressed his displeasure over a scene in Animal, where Ranbir’s character asks Triptii Dimri’s character to lick his shoe. Akhtar called the film’s success ‘dangerous’ and said that it was a sign of the ‘moral decay’ of society. In response, the team of Animal issued a statement, saying, “Let love be free from the politics of gender. Let’s just call them lovers. LOVER cheated and lied. LOVER said lick my shoe. Period.”
On the other hand, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap came out in support of Sandeep Reddy Vanga and shared a picture with him on his Instagram account. He wrote, “The most misunderstood, judged and reviled Filmaker at the moment . To me he is the most honest , vulnerable and a lovely person. I wanted to meet the man and I had questions and he answered every thing I asked of him about his film that I actually saw twice.”
Animal, which also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor, Saloni Batra and Triptii Dimri along with Shakti Kapoor, Suresh Oberoi and Prem Chopra, was released on December 1st, 2023. The film is a remake of the Telugu blockbuster Arjun Reddy, which was also directed by Vanga and starred Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey. After the success of Animal, there are reports that a sequel titled Animal Park is in the works.
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