'Brave and innocent': Triptii Dimri defends her 'Animal' character
What's the story
Triptii Dimri, who played a pivotal role in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's controversial film Animal, recently described her character as "brave and innocent."
The movie, which also stars Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, and Bobby Deol, has been under scrutiny for allegedly promoting misogyny and toxic masculinity.
Despite this criticism, it was one of the highest-grossing Indian films of 2023 and catapulted Dimri's career to great heights.
Role discussion
Dimri explained why she took up the role
At the India Today Mumbai Conclave 2024, Dimri opened up about the role.
She stated, "As an actor, it's important to take on something that pushes you. Every time I get a role, I feel like it's both scary and challenging."
"That's exactly how I felt when Sandeep Sir explained Zoya's character to me. She seemed both brave and innocent at the same time, and that excited me."
Defense stance
Dimri defended her portrayal amid criticism
Despite the backlash, Dimri stood by her portrayal of Zoya.
She said, "I would approach Zoya's character exactly the same way I did."
"As humans, we all have different shades—good, bad, and even ugly. I feel that films allow us to explore these sides."
"Acting lets us experience a wide range of emotions, and I consider actors lucky because we get to live through so many different experiences in one lifetime."
Career trajectory
'Animal' plot and Dimri's upcoming projects
Animal follows the life of Kapoor's character Rannvijay, who seeks revenge after learning about an assassination attempt on his father Balbir Singh (Anil Kapoor).
After her role in this film, Dimri was last seen in Bad Newz with Vicky Kaushal. She is set to appear in Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video alongside Rajkummar Rao and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 with Kartik Aaryan.
The former releases on October 11, while the latter is scheduled for a Diwali release.