The release of the movie Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and featuring Ranbir Kapoor, was expected to generate widespread discussions and debates across the nation. This anticipation is primarily due to the film's unsettling visuals, which depict graphic scenes of gore, violence, and abuse.
Yet, just three days after hitting the cinemas on December 1st, 2023, social media users, particularly film critics and influential personalities who have consistently criticized Sandeep Reddy Vanga's work since his Arjun Reddy/Kabir Singh days, have once again voiced their concerns with the release of Animal.
As the movie maintains its successful streak at the box office, all set to join the ₹200 crore club within just two days of its release, renowned author and columnist Shobaa De expressed her thoughts on the societal implications of Animal's success through her X account.
In a video shared, De shares, "Hi, I'm Shobha De and this is not a film review. As I said in an earlier post, I'm not going to be watching Animal and this is not to tell you not to watch it. It's just that from the reviews that I have read and from people who have watched it, it seems like something has gone horribly wrong, not just with the filmmakers but with our society. It's had a smashing opening weekend but it's not about the numbers. What is the film saying? This kind of Neanderthal alpha male behaviour is to be condoned, is to be considered love. We have to make excuses for a hero who has daddy issues and all kinds of other issues. Well, that's fine but gore and violence and offensive language and the hero who is being applauded telling a woman to prove her love by licking his shoes and we think this is great cinema."
Condemning the depiction and glorification of misogyny and masculinity under the guise of trauma, De further adds, "Guys, go watch it. No one is stopping anyone but this is what I feel and we should speak up if we think something is really this awful with our society that a film which seems to be made by an animal or animals is already giving animal a bad name because animals don't behave like that to us therefore. That's from me. That's my opinion. Go watch it."
Watch the video below:
Shortly after she posted the video, De found herself at the center of controversy, facing a barrage of unwarranted remarks from trolls.
Take a look at a few of the responses her post generated.
ABOUT ANIMAL
The film sheds light on the tumultuous relationship between a father and son, and the latter's quest to seek the former's validation, which pushes him to go to extreme lengths. Besides Ranbir, the film also stars Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna and Tripti Dimri.
