Javed Akhtar Criticizes Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal Character: 'He Is A Caricature That Wants Woman To...'

Javed Akhtar did not mince words when he first expressed his disappointment with Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, where the lead character, played by Ranbir Kapoor, asks his girlfriend to lick his shoe. In a recent interview, the veteran writer addressed the concept of the ‘angry young man’ in films, stating that expressing irrational anger that isn’t directed at anything specific starts to turn the character into a caricature, citing Animal as an example. Javed, along with Salim Khan, penned numerous films in the 1970s featuring lead heroes portrayed as ‘angry young men’ disillusioned with the establishment.

When discussing why the concept of the ‘angry young man’ remains prevalent in the south but less so in the north, the writer explained to We Are Yuvaa, “In south also, he (the hero) is turning into a caricature . Now he is the kind of man who wants a woman to lick his shoe. He is already starting to turn into a caricature of an angry young man or a strong man.” When asked if he had seen*Animal, Javed responded, “I have not seen Animal. People told me about it, and I read in the news that he asks her to lick his shoe. She bends down, but thank god they cut it right there.”

Earlier, at the 9th Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival, Javed expressed his concern that the success of films like Animal was “dangerous.” In response, Vanga, during a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, referenced Mirzapur, a series produced by Javed’s son Farhan Akhtar, suggesting that Javed should be “checking his son’s work.”

Released on December 1, 2023, Animal revolved around a man and his toxic relationship with his father. The film showed Vijay (played by Ranbir) as an anti-hero who would go to any lengths to protect his father, including gun down 200 people with machine gun. However, despite his efforts, he struggled to get a seal of approval from his emotionally unavailable father (played by Anil Kapoor). The film also starred Rashmika Mandanna and Triptii Dimri in key roles.

While Animal was a box office success which earned over Rs 900 crore worldwide, it was also questioned by many for being ‘misogynistic’. The film sparked a debate on social media, with many slamming the director for his portrayal of Vijay.