Indian filmmakerSandeep Reddy Vanga’sAnimalhas not stopped attracting audiences to the theater since its release, living up to the noise around the film and surpassing the$100 million mark at the global box office. But despite the love it has been receiving from audiences,Animalhas continued to attract controversy, much like its director who has been in the limelight for his controversial remarks. Thefilm has been particularly criticized for its misogynistic themes, glorification of toxic masculinity, and no-holds-barred violence depicted on screen - all of which seem to be particularly engineered by the director as a response to the backlash he faced for his previous filmKabir Singh(a remake of Vanga’s Telugu-language film of the same name), which also got panned for its misguided portrayal of relationships. WhileAnimalhas reinvoked the debate around how dynamics between gendersshould be portrayedin popular cinema, the success of the film, on the other hand, reflects a sentiment that falls on the completely opposite spectrum of what its critics feel.
FeaturingRanbir KapoorandRashmika Mandannaas the leading pair,Animalfollows the scion of the “Swastik Steels” empire, Ranvijay Singh Balbir (Kapoor), trying to take down the enemies of his beloved father, Balbir Singh (Anil Kapoor) while he tries to improve his tumultuous relationship with his absentee parent. Thefilm shows Kapoor’s character as a hyper-violent avatarwho refuses to abide by any rules, even those set by his father. Later in the film, the troubled childhood of the protagonist and his troubled relationship with his father become fair grounds for the character to indulge in toxic relationships and behavior with other characters in the film.
A father, who is often away due to work, is unable to comprehend the intensity of his son’s love. Ironically, this fervent love and admiration for his father and family creates conflict between the father and son.
‘Animal’ Revels in Toxic Masculinity
While flawed characters only add to the realism of the film’s world in any film, Vanga’sAnimalglorifies the violent tendencies of its protagonist without any remorse, adding fuel to the debate around whether films should purely stick to entertainment or they should also hold the responsibility of reflecting certain ethical standards in a society where films influence masses more than any other medium - a debate that also existed aroundTodd Philip’sJoker. Flawed characters in films are not uncommon by any standards, but whether the actions of such characters derive inspiration or loathing falls on the creative choices of its maker. InAnimal’s case,the choices seem to have been made in the interest of the shock factorthrough the disastrous choices of the character that still somehow end up rewarding.
Ranbir Kapoor Goes on a Blood-Soaked Revenge Mission in First ‘Animal’ Trailer
The Bollywood action film will be released in theaters worldwide on December 1.
Moreover, it’s not just the protagonist alone who indulges in his barbaric tendencies, but the film ensures thata protagonist of equally ignoble qualities competes with the protagonist for power. In another deplorable scene of the film, the antagonist, played byBobby Deol, pounces on his newly-wed wife with his blood-soaked face. Maybe, all these actions fall in line with the director’s vision of how alpha males behaved in primitive societies, but the difference appears when one realizes thatAnimaltakes place in a modern society where civilization has evolved beyond the principles that the film considers to be holy.
‘Animal’s Choices Seem Designed for Shock Value
‘Animal’ Follows a Larger Trend in Indian Films
The success ofAnimalalso highlights another trend in Indian cinemawhere a certain brand of cinema, pandering to a pan-Indian audience, tends to portray its male protagonists as the flagbearers of masculinity. Recent domestic blockbusters such asPushpaandKGFall portray their protagonists as demigods who ride high on their embracing of hyper-violence. To the credit of these films,they have also managed to bring audiences back to the theatersin greater numbers than ever seen before the pandemic. This year itself, Indian cinema has seen some of its biggest blockbusters ever,all headlined by characters that fall within a particular mold of masculinity.
Clearly, the creative minds behindAnimal, which could very well beIndia’s biggest film of 2023, were aware of the scathing criticism that would come their way, as evidenced by the flamboyantpost-credits scene, in which Kapoor’s character can be seen looking at the audience and pointing at his crotch, in what is most definitely a dig by the director at his critics. But it wouldn’t be an understatement to say that the film’s success could have done greater damage to how women must be portrayed in mainstream cinema than the film itself, especially in an industry where female-led films and strong female characters are a dime a dozen. AsAnimalcontinues to march towards the top spot for an Indian filmat the global box office, it’s fair to say that the debate around films of such nature won’t die down soon, and worryingly, the film’s success might only end up inspiring a greater influx ofmainstream films that fail to justifiably portray gender dynamicsand move away from traditional notions of masculinity.
Animalis currently in theaters across the U.S.
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