After strongly retorting to negative reviews and allegations of spreading ‘toxic masculinity’ by some ‘illiterate’ and ‘uneducated’ critics, Sandeep Reddy Vanga, director of the recently hit film, ‘Animal’ has now managed to silence the leftist-liberals and Islamist cabal which has been attempting to construct an anti-Muslim narrative around his film.
It’s interesting to note that a lot of so-called liberals, pseudo-seculars and Islamists have taken offence at the filmmaker for depicting Bobby Deol’s character’s religion as ‘Muslim.’ These people have never raised an eyebrow when a Hindu is shown as the antagonist in any given movie. In fact, they would dismiss it as ‘poetic licence’ and send Hindus on a guilt trip if they dared to protest what they would consider to be the ‘freedom’ of any artist or writer.
Dismissing this skewed narrative, Vanga in an interview with Galatta Plus, said that people often undergo conversions after having experienced setbacks, and that’s what Abrar did. Vanga stated to have personally witnessed the tendency of vulnerable people to gravitate to superstition and religion. In the movie, Abrar becomes silent due to the stress he endured following the death of his grandfather. He later turns against Ranvijay after learning of his brother’s death. Subsequently, their relationship is discovered.
Notably, in the film, Abrar, the character essayed by Bobby Deol, is the cousin of the protagonist, Rannvijay Singh (played by Ranbir Kapoor).
Further explaining his rationale behind depicting Bobby Deol’s character ‘Muslim,’ Vanga said that we often see a lot of people converting to Islam and Christianity but seldom do we see anybody converting to Hinduism. Moreover, it provided him with a rationale to create Abrar as a character with several wives.
We see a lot of people converting to Islam and Christianity; we never see anybody converting to Hinduism: Animal director explains his rationale for depicting Bobby Deol’s religion as Muslim
He said, “I’ve seen people, when they enter a zone of zero confidence, people will come and say to them, ‘Go to a church, or go to a baba, he’ll give some taweez, change your name…’ I’ve seen people changing their religion because so much has happened to them. At a low point, they feel like it’s a new birth, it’s a change of identity completely… We see a lot of people converting to Islam and Christianity; we never see anybody converting to Hinduism. So, I thought I’ll use this, because you can get multiple wives in Islam. I can have multiple cousins with different faces; the drama will be bigger. That’s the only reason Vanga told Galatta Plus adding, “there was no intention to show a Muslim in a bad light.”
Islamists and leftist liberals criticise ‘Animal’ makers for being ‘anti-Muslim’
It’s interesting to note that since its December 1 release, Sandeep Vanga’s film Animal has generated conversation for both right and wrong reasons. Film critics have harshly criticized the Ranbir Kapoor starrer despite the film’s remarkable domestic and international box office performance, citing the director’s misogynistic approach. Following criticism that it glorified misogyny, several leftist liberals and Islamists on social media are now criticizing the director for supposedly harbouring “Islamophobia.”
“What is Bollywood’s obsession with portraying Muslims as absolute psychos. Can they focus on their own Hindu mobs in India. Their second obsession is violence against women. Their third obsession is with Pakistan. Hate really sells, tragic,” wrote an X user going by the handle @zay9797_
What is Bollywood’s obsession with portraying Muslims as absolute psychos. Can they focus on their own Hindu mobs in India. Their second obsession is violence against women. Their third obsession is with Pakistan. Hate really sells, tragic.
— alizay (@zay9797_) December 18, 2023
“I just saw a snippet of Bobby Deol in Animal and I can’t believe my eyes. They’ve shown him as a pervert Muslim. The fact that these actors agree to take on such roles shows the hatred in their own hearts. Flop nepo kid. His brother is just as bad. What’s their obsession with us,” she added in her subsequent post.
A few other Islamists also took offence to the filmmaker showing the religion of Bobby Deol’s character ‘Muslim’.
Indian film makers and their obsession with showing Muslims as villians..! #AnimalMovie
— Aesh (@ashlyaesh) December 21, 2023
Movie: animal
— Shahdab Shaikh (@ShahdabShaikh2) December 12, 2023
Budget: 200 crore
Purpose: demonising muslims and creating enmity between shikh and muslim community.
Islamist social media channel Muslim Spaces also looked visibly angry at the makers of the movie for depicting Bobby Deol’s character as ‘Muslim.’ The anti-Hindu channel which has obviously, never been offended when a ‘Hindu’ is depicted as the antagonist in a film, bemoaned, “Animal connects with pro-Hindutva incels (‘trads’ in Indian context) at a visceral level. It brings to life some of their pet fantasies.”
Should @MaheshNBhatt clarify on this Islamophobia?#AnimalMovie: Why the Film Needed to Have a 'Muslim Villain'?
— Muslim Spaces (@MuslimSpaces) December 12, 2023
“Animal connects with pro Hindutva incels ('trads' in Indian context) at a visceral level. It brings to life some of their pet fantasies”, writes @AdityaMenon22
A… pic.twitter.com/ib4M3JWzFV
Animal’s Sandeep Reddy Vanga calls his critics ‘uneducated’, asks them to ‘teach English in China’
Notably, in a separate interaction with Galatta Plus, Vanga had earlier dismissed the charge that the film is promoting Misogyny in which he referred to the critics as ‘Jokers’.
He said, “Misogyny is disrespect to women. This is the actual definition, right? So no. Even Kabir Singh, even Animal, even me as a person. I always feel my production house name is Bhadrakali Pictures and I don’t know why people think…not too many people, only these 15-20 jokers. But it’s a wrong word to use on Kabir Singh, Animal.”
Responding to negative reviews and allegations of spreading ‘toxic masculinity’, Sandeep Reddy Vanga, director of the recently hit film, ‘Animal’ lashed out at the clique of ‘English’ critics calling them ‘illiterate’ and ‘uneducated’. In a conversation with Connect FM Cannada, Vanga admitted that negative reviews do hamper a film.
However, he argued that the film is doing good business at the box office because of the film’s craft. It’s not because Bollywood critics like Anupama Chopra, Sucharita Tyagi, and Rajeev Masand diss his films.
As per reports, Vanga’s Animal has done business for around Rs 522 crore in India and Rs 843 crore worldwide. It’s reportedly the biggest A-rated film ever, and behind Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan and Pathaan, Animal is the third-biggest Indian film of 2023. Meanwhile, Vanga’s upcoming directorial ventures include Prabhas’ Spirit and Allu Arjun’s untitled film.
