Hyderabad: Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has addressed his controversial remarks on the blockbuster Animal, a 2023 family crime drama directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Ranbir Kapoor. In a recent interview with a newswire, Akhtar clarified that his criticism was directed at the audience rather than the film itself.
"I did not opine on Animal, I opined on the audience. Honestly! If 10-12 people make a film with wrong values or a vulgar song, that's not the issue. If 15 out of 140 crore people are perverts or have wrong values, it's okay, doesn't matter. The problem arises when society celebrates it, turning it into a superhit," Akhtar explained.
Akhtar also joked about the title of the film, suggesting it was "self-explanatory." He had earlier criticised a controversial scene in which the male protagonist (Ranbir Kapoor) allegedly asks his love interest (Triptii Dimri) to lick his shoe to prove her loyalty. Despite not having seen the film, Akhtar condemned the values it purportedly represents, calling its Rs 500 crore box office success "dangerous" for society.
Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga had responded strongly, accusing Akhtar of hypocrisy given that his son Farhan Akhtar's production house co-produces Mirzapur, infamous for vulgar content. Akhtar retorted by pointing out that his own body of work remained untarnished by such allegations.
The controversy underscores broader debates about cinematic values, audience responsibility, and societal impact, with Akhtar maintaining that the film's creators are not as concerned as the society that endorses such content.
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