Hyderabad: Following criticism from veteran screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar about the film Animal, the official social media account of the movie on platform X issued a staunch defense of its content. Akhtar had expressed concern about the trend of successful films like Animal, labeling it as 'dangerous.' Helmed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Animal gained notoriety for its graphic content, extreme violence, and controversial portrayal of female characters. Despite the backlash, the film achieved remarkable success, grossing Rs 900 crore globally.
The official response from the Animal team on social media directly challenged Javed Akhtar's understanding of the film's themes. They contended that if a writer of Akhtar's stature couldn't comprehend the depicted betrayal, it raised questions about the legitimacy of his artistic insight. The response focused on a pivotal scene where the male protagonist, Ranvijay played by Ranbir Kapoor, asks the female character Zoya, essayed by Tripti Dimri, to lick his shoe, with the team asserting that a similar response from a woman would be hailed as feminism.
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Writer of your calibre cannot understand the betrayal of a lover (Between Zoya & Ranvijay) then all your art form is big FALSE 🙃 & If a woman (betrayed and fooled by a man in the name of love) would have said "lick my shoe" then you guys would have celebrated it by calling it…
— Animal The Film (@AnimalTheFilm) January 7, 2024 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Writer of your calibre cannot understand the betrayal of a lover (Between Zoya & Ranvijay) then all your art form is big FALSE 🙃 & If a woman (betrayed and fooled by a man in the name of love) would have said "lick my shoe" then you guys would have celebrated it by calling it…
— Animal The Film (@AnimalTheFilm) January 7, 2024Writer of your calibre cannot understand the betrayal of a lover (Between Zoya & Ranvijay) then all your art form is big FALSE 🙃 & If a woman (betrayed and fooled by a man in the name of love) would have said "lick my shoe" then you guys would have celebrated it by calling it…
— Animal The Film (@AnimalTheFilm) January 7, 2024
However, netizens expressed their dissatisfaction with the team's retort, interpreting it as an acknowledgment of potential issues with the movie. Comments such as "Agar har criticism ka answer dena pad raha hai you know you made a problematic movie !!" and "Sandeep is saying this to Jawed Akhtar saab...Pride Air carries the weight of arrogance in making three movies" conveyed a negative sentiment.
In a speech at an international film festival in Aurangabad, Javed Akhtar emphasised the shared responsibility of filmmakers and audiences. He urged audiences to actively participate in deciding the types of movies that should be made and the values portrayed on screen.
Despite the criticism, the Animal team remained undeterred, celebrated the film's success with a grand event attended by Bollywood's prominent figures in Mumbai on January 6. This continued to fuel the ongoing debate within the industry and among audiences about the film's controversial themes.
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