“I Won’t”: Farhan Akhtar Says He Can't Recommend Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Animal’ To Others
Farhan Akhtar made some strong statements about the movie ‘Animal’, saying he will not recommend the film to others.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Animal’, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor and Triptii Dimri, released in cinemas in December 2023. However, even months later, the controversial Hindi film continues to be debated and reactions keep pouring in regarding the portrayal of misogyny and toxic masculinity. Now, director, producer and actor Farhan Akhtar has given his opinion on 'Animal', saying that the 2023 Hindi movie did not resonate with him. He also called Ranbir Kapoor's character “problematic”.
In an interview with Faye D'Souza, Farhan Akhtar said, “The film didn’t do much for me. Is it something that I would recommend somebody to watch, I guess not.”
When asked what would he do if given an opportunity to produce ‘Animal’, he replied, “No, I won’t. it doesn’t resonate with me. For me, I feel that the character is problematic.”
For the unversed, ‘Animal’ had stirred a huge debate on social media with several celebrities like Javed Akhtar and Swanand Kirkire, slamming the movie for its misogyny and violence.
Earlier, Farhan Akhtar had also given his opinion on the rise of “alpha characters” in movies like 'Animal'.
In an interaction with YouTuber Raj Shamani, Farhan Akhtar said, “I don’t believe that some things should not be shown. We are in a field where, if someone tells me, ‘You can’t make a film like this’, then I’ll be like, ‘Who are you to tell me what I should and should not make?’ I am permitted by the laws of this country, and I have the freedom of artistic expression to say whatever I want.”
“What the audience wants to listen to, that they’ll decide. I’d never ever tell any filmmaker or writer or producer or anyone, ‘Yaar don’t make this’, or, ‘This kind of movie can’t be made’. To each their own, because I don’t feel that’s right and that’s a dangerous thing to do,” he added.
Earlier, Ranbir Kapoor had also addressed the criticism that 'Animal' had received during its run.
In an interview with entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath, he said, “Social media played havoc. They need something to talk about, so they really went to town claiming it was a misogynistic film. What happens is that the hard work that you put in… I know the director had made Kabir Singh, which also faced the same thing, the hard work gets diminished. Because it gets this tag, which isn’t true, the perception stayed with this film.”
“So, the general public will speak very fondly about the film, but there are many people I meet, who tell me, ‘You shouldn’t have done this film, we are so disappointed in you’. And a lot of people from the film industry (said the same thing). I quietly apologize and say, ‘Sorry I won’t do it next time.’ I don’t really agree with them, but I am in that phase of my life I don’t argue with anyone. If you don’t like my work, I will say I am sorry I will try harder next time,” he added.
For the unversed, ‘Animal’ had registered a worldwide collection of more than Rs 900 crore. In India, the film minted over Rs 500 crore.
