'Animal' started healthy conversation about toxic masculinity: Ranbir Kapoor
What's the story
Sandeep Reddy Vanga's money spinner Animal has been polarizing viewers, film critics, and celebrities even nearly two months after its release.
Ranbir Kapoor's most successful film commercially, it has been heavily badgered online for its alleged attack on feminism and glorification of toxic masculinity.
The film recently arrived on Netflix, and in a promotional video, Kapoor opined that the film sparked a "healthy conversation" on toxic masculinity.
Kapoor's stance
Kapoor emphasized importance of portraying flawed characters
The video—which also features Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor—is moderated by Anubhav Singh Bassi and is available on Netflix India's YouTube page.
Speaking to them, Kapoor said, "There is a very healthy conversation that has started about toxic masculinity also, which is a great thing because cinema, at least, it starts a conversation."
"If something is wrong, if you don't show that it is wrong, and unless conversation starts in the society, we will never realize it," he added.
Audience's responsibility
Kapoor also underlined audience's responsibility
Kapoor further argued, "The roles we are playing, those are characters. It is very important that as actors, we have empathy for them because we need to play it. But as an audience, you should decide what's wrong (sic)."
"You can make a film on the wrong person, and it should be made. Because if you don't make a film on them, society will never improve," he added.
Deol supported Kapoor, saying, "Storytelling is the reflection of society."
Criticism
Intense criticism: Javed Akhtar called 'Animal's success 'dangerous'
During the ninth Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival, veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar called the success of Animal "dangerous."
Akhtar had said, "The image of a hero should be created with an awareness of what is right."
"If there's a film in which a man asks a woman to lick his shoe or if a man says it's okay to slap a woman...and the film is a super hit, that's dangerous," Akhtar had opined.
Other criticism
Swanand Kirkire came down heavily on 'Animal,' too
Animal generated criticism from other celebrities too, with actor-lyricist Swanand Kirkire earlier tweeting, "After watching the movie Animal, I really felt pity for the women of today's generation."
"Today, again a new man has been prepared for you, who is more scary, who does not respect you at all and who aims to subdue you and suppress you, and he feels that it is his objective as a man to feel proud of doing these things," he wrote in Hindi.