‘Animal’: Divided we stand

Nonika Singh

“It’s a man’s world, Geetanjali,” thunders the lead protagonist of ‘Animal’. Director-writer Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s films have never been anything other than male-verses where unhinged men rule, love and punish their women in equal measure. And he himself, it appears, divides and rules.

Never has a film created such a divide, except perhaps his last film, ‘Kabir Singh’. Critics and viewers are rarely on the same page. But, Vanga’s ‘Animal’ has literally become that oddity which feeds and thrives on hate and criticism. At last count, the film that has been panned by critics was roaring and had minted Rs 500 crore worldwide in just one week. Interestingly, it even has the industry on opposite sides of the fence. Maverick director Ram Gopal Varma praises it in no uncertain terms. Lyricist-actor Swanand Kirkire is derisive and despondent enough to point out the dangerous trend that ‘Animal’ could set off. The film itself has triggers aplenty. Feminists are vociferous in their condemnation. Shobhaa De expresses her disapproval even without watching the film. Of course, Anurag Kashyap defends the maker’s right to make the kind of film he believes in, again without watching it.

Anyone who is of any consequence is ready to share their two cents of wisdom on the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer. Rare is a film that creates a storm at the box office as well as off it. But the point here is: why so much hue and cry about a film whose prime purpose is merely to entertain?

“Exactly,” feels producer-actor Rahul Mittra, who has himself made some gangster films. “Cinema is not to be seen through a moral lens. It’s the art of engagement/storytelling and not some educational lesson. You can’t expect a holy sermon from a film that is called ‘Animal’ and is ‘A’ rated.”

Trade analyst Sumit Kadel, one of the few critics to have viewed the film favourably, says, “Nothing in ‘Animal’ is meant to be taken seriously. It is just one more well-crafted film in the line of logic-less actioners with a heavy dose of violence.” Add to it an intense father-son twist, Punjabi tadka, a dash of profane sex talk and the recipe for a blockbuster was perhaps written all over it. Only, many are just seeing misogyny, glorification of blood-curdling violence, sexism, marital rape and objectionable portrayal of women. Kadel, however, feels that unlike Preeti of ‘Kabir Singh’, Geetanjali is no doormat.

Many are conflicted about whether they love or hate the film. They find the film as problematic as fascinating. The opinion on its superstar hero Ranbir Kapoor is near unanimous though. He not only lives and breathes his part, but bares his body and soul. Mittra says, “How can you say Ranbir is good and the film is not? Both go hand in hand.” He also feels that the film works with the audiences for it stays close to and true to its character’s motivation, obsession and conviction in the film and that is why his actions seem justifiable to the audience. Ranbir’s character may proclaim, ‘I am a perfect son’, but he is nobody’s idea of a perfect lover, husband or even brother.

Vanga, anyway, is not known for creating virtuous characters. His earlier outing, ‘Kabir Singh’, too did not win him brownie points on that count and certainly not on the critics’ barometer. Noted director Rahul Rawail agrees that Kabir Singh was a misogynist character, but in the same breath, he adds, “What can you say, women loved the film.” Indeed, the audiences, of which women were a sizeable part, lapped up ‘Kabir Singh’ as critics went on a lambasting drive. Polarised opinions apart, it became a Rs 300-crore-plus blockbuster. If the viewers found it relatable and intense back in 2019, Kashyap recently declared that 80 per cent of men are like Kabir Singh! But should a film feed or bust patriarchy? “Films with social content and context, such as those by directors Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy and Satyajit Ray, are no longer being made,” says Rawail.

Today, dark cinema and characters find both validation and audiences. In a way, the logic which applied to the humungous success of ‘Kabir Singh’ holds true for ‘Animal’ as well. Anything away from the ordinary captures the imagination of the audiences, who have little time for social theories and limited understanding of cerebral words like misogyny. They simply submit to the experience on offer and are not taking notes on where the character is socially incorrect. As for the critics, whom Vanga dismisses as pseudo, they probably have selective memory and logic and do not necessarily follow the ‘what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander’ axiom. In another film, perhaps, the atmanirbhar joke would have won plaudits; and the action sequence timed to ‘Arjan Vailly’ song hailed a masterstroke. But in a Vanga film, most critics only pick holes. Now, a Congress MP, too, has joined the chorus and, among other things, raised objections to the chartbuster sung by Bhupinder Babbal.

There is no denying that the three-film-old director has been clever, even if manipulative. As Mittra says, “It is calculated machismo, which, coupled with great performances, gives respite to audiences fed up with the so-called meaningful films bereft of entertainment value.” Interestingly, after the flak ‘Kabir Singh’ received, Reddy decided to turn more brazen. Toxic, incel, choose your own word… he is unafraid to show animalistic tendencies. And in Bobby Deol’s Abrar, the antagonist, it touches another level of depravity. Ranbir Kapoor, Vanga’s muse in ‘Animal’, is in an offensive mood and there is a method in his provocation. Repugnance has shock value and, by and large, Vanga is in control of the volatile material at hand, which is a combustible mix of not only violence and sex, but many an earlier film. Hollywood buffs can see traces of ‘Scarface’, ‘Godfather’ and ‘John Wick’. Closer home, Kadel brings out the similarity with ‘Yalgaar’.

Father-son conflict is not new to Indian cinema. What is new is Vanga’s blood-soaked signature. Whether it will set an undesirable precedent, as Kirkire fears, or not, Vanga, like his film’s run at the box office, is unstoppable. He promises a meaner, darker film: ‘Animal Park’. The door for a sequel has been left wide open in ‘Animal’ itself. Clearly, in the jungle created by Vanga, there are no rules or, as RGV cheers, “You just threw holy templates into the garbage bin.”

Marcus Aurelius said, “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” And in Vanga’s cinema, where love and hate are two sides of the same coin, lines between right and wrong get blurred. Reflection or deflection… his strategy is paying off, so far.