What’s it about?
Ranvijay Singh (Ranbir Kapoor) is forced to leave the house by his father, business magnate Balbir Singh (Anil Kapoor), when his voilent behavior becomes too much for the father to endure. Ranvijay Singh, on the other hand, has worshiped his father since childhood and needs love, which his father does not supply due to his ‘busy schedule’.
Ranvijay, who married his schoolmate Geetanjali, departs for the United States. They have two kids. After learning that his father was attacked by unknown assailants, Ranvijay returns home.
Ranvijay vows to protect his father at all times and decides to track down the person (Bobby Deol) behind it.
Analysis
In response to criticism that his Hindi adaptation of “Arjun Reddy,” “Kabir Singh,” was too violent, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga promised to demonstrate in his next what a violent film truly is. He delivered on his promise with Ranbir Kapoor’s “Animal,” which is arguably the most violent film in Indian cinema in a long time.
Vanga displays little restraint in any of his depictions, be they of violence, romance, or conversations. The protagonist has a pattern of aggression or violent behavior in all of his relationships, including those with his father, wife, and girlfriend. There is more violence and bloodshed in the action scenes than in any Indian film we have seen in the recent times. He paints a picture of the protagonist’s animalistic character through the use of “violence.”
The story is presented by Vanga in an appealing way, and he adds a fresh angle to the father-son drama scenario. Does the obsession with receiving love and attention from one’s father actually drive people to become animalistic and insane? For his part, Vanga has attempted to convey this view. Through his technique and violent narrative, he has reimagined the mafia drama about a son seeking revenge. You can expect intense action scenes on par with those in Quentin Tarantino films or perhaps certain Korean action dramas. We may also see Tarantino’s influence in the explicit words used in conversations between the protagonist and other characters.
A couple of scenes, notably the killing of a man who has betrayed his family, are obvious inspirations from Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather.”
Although the unprecedented level of violence in this film is to be expected, the excessive focus on sexual topics and genitalia is somewhat unpleasant. On top of that, we can’t help but question if Sandep Vanga employed them for “shock value” given the hero’s enjoyment of inflicting pain on the heroine (in one scene, he repeatedly pulls and releases the bra elastic strip). Rashmika Mandanna removing her kurta and being in her bra and comforting her husband by taking his head to her breast in front of a maid demonstrates how many scenes are inserted for the sake of ‘boldness’. Even though her spouse is a deranged personality, why would she agree to it in front of a maid?
In particular, I enjoyed the body-double sequence, Vanga’s use of music to narrate, and the first half of the story. Quite intriguing even is the villain’s late introduction. However, mixed emotions are evoked by the hero and villain’s confrontation sequence. Three hour and twenty-one minutes is a lengthy time for a film. An indication of the story’s sequel appears in the post-credit scene.
Ranbir Kapoor’s performance is a tour de force. He takes on multiple personas, representing different stages of life, including adolescence, youth, middle age, and old age. Through his facial expressions, body language, and dialogue delivery, he conveys the aggressive streak of his role and mad love for his father. A truly masterclass in acting from Ranbir Kapoor.
Anil Kapoor is a good fit for the role of a father. The experienced actor is excellent. Rashmika Mandanna delivers a sincere performance. She shows brightly in the emotional parts. Bobby Deol is an excellent opponent for Ranbir Kapoor.
Music directors’ work (both songs and background) stands out among the technicians. The work of Amit Roy (of ‘Sarkar’ fame) is also outstanding.
Bottom line: As “Animal” demonstrates once again, Sandeep Reddy Vanga has a different perspective and a unique way with storytelling. The film serves as a character study. In the first half of the film, I really enjoyed the director’s approach, editing style, and story setup; nonetheless, there are numerous faults with the film, particularly in the second half. The film’s killer features—Ranbir Kapoor’s outstanding performance and Sandeep Vanga’s cult-style storytelling— aside, its long running time, graphical violence and problematic conversations and situations don’t work well.
Rating: 3/5
Jalapathy Gudelli
Movie: Animal (Telugu)
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol Tripti Dimri, Shakti Kapoor, Prem Chopra and others
Dialogues: Rakendu Mouli Vennelakanti
Background Score: Harshwardhan Rameshwar
DOP: Amit Roy
Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Murad Khetani, Pranay Reddy Vanga
Written, edited and Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Release Date: December 01, 2023
