‘Animal’ has become this year’s biggest hit, starring Ranbir Kapoor. Despite the divisive reaction to several aspects of the film, such as the promotion of toxic masculinity and the misogynistic treatment of women, The Sandeep Reddy Vanga is still smashing box office records. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has now responded to Animal in a new interview with OTT Play, stating that the movie ‘is doing something good’ since it has sparked a discussion about women.
Anurag discussed his opinions on the response to Animal in an interview with OTT Play during the Kolkata International Film Festival. He declared, “You cannot force responsibility on anyone. People take responsibility for themselves or they don’t. How many people went and watched a film that you considered to be feminist? Only a handful of people watch them and underline if it was a real feminist film or a pseudo-feminist film. A film like Animal has galvanised more feminists in this country than any other feminist film. It has created more discussion around misogyny than any other film. So it is doing something good.”
He went on to say that Animal was the reason why most people were taught feminism. He said, “You need a provocateur in a society for people to understand. More people were taught feminism because of Animal and the discussions around it. Why are you scared of a provocateur? We are educated and learned people. Why are we afraid of someone who provokes us? I think being provoked is a good thing. I have always tried to make films to make people uncomfortable, as a filmmaker. When I made Ugly, I wanted people to go back and not sleep that night.”
Animal stars Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, and Ranbir Kapoor in key parts. The poisonous bond between a father and son is the subject of the movie. Ranbir portrays a wounded and vindictive son, while Anil plays the emotionally absent father. Since its December 1 premiere in theatres throughout the globe, it has brought in ₹717.46 crore.
