Farhan Akhtar On Ranbir Kapoor's Animal: "The Character Is Problematic"

Months after Ranbir Kapoor's Animal released in theatres, the conversation around it refuses to die. The latest celebrity to join the bandwagon was Farhan Akhtar who said he wouldn't recommend anybody to watch the film 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 if he had produced Animal given a chance, he said, "No, I won't. It doesn't resonate with me. For me, I feel that the character is problematic."

This is not the first time Farhan Akhtar expressed his views about Animal. Earlier, in an interview with YouTuber Raj Shamani, he was asked to share his thoughts on Ranbir Kapoor's character Ranvijay. 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."

Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal drew difference of opinions inside the industry. Celebrities like Javed Akhtar, Konkona Sen Sharma also expressed their thoughts on the film and they didn't approve of the content of the film. However, filmmakers like Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap applauded the film for its style of making without delving much into the moral fabric of the film. At the Forbes India Leadership Awards 2024, Karan Johar said, "I didn't go deep into the moral communication of the film - I was so swept by the narrative and the way the filmmaker told the story of it through sound design, screenplay, dialogue, character development, that as a filmmaker, I loved it."

Despite receiving criticism, Animal minted a whopping amount of money at the box office. Animal also won five Filmfare Awards this year including Ranbir Kapoor's trophy in the Best Actor (Popular) category.