Rajkummar Rao DEFENDS Ranbir Kapoor's Animal, Says He Liked It: 'It's Not Called The Ideal Man....'| Exclusive

Stree 2 actor Rajkummar Rao has opened up about Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s blockbuster Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna and Triptii Dimri. During an exclusive chat with News18, he mentioned that he thoroughly enjoyed the film, appreciating it for its entertainment value. Rajkummar praised Sandeep Vanga’s “new” approach to storytelling and noted that he wasn’t expecting the character to be an ideal man, given the film’s title.

He said, “There are some films which are, of course, just meant for entertainment. Like we say ‘apna dimaag ghar par chorh ke aao’ or that kind of a comedy. So, there are different kind of genres, I’m sure. With Animal, I enjoyed watching it. It’s because of the music and the way it was made. I like Vanga sir’s storytelling – I think he has got a very new voice of storytelling – which I really enjoyed. Ranbir’s performance was outstanding. So I enjoyed the experience of watching Animal, because I knew what I was getting into. The film is not called ‘An Ideal Man’, it’s called Animal. So I was going in to watch an ‘animal’ and not somebody I would aspire to be.”

Talking about the success of Stree 2, Rajkummar Rao, during the same chat, said, “These numbers… they mean that those many people have seen the film. Whatever the number is, it means that people have made an effort to go the theatre to watch your film. That is very gratifying for me. [It means] lakhs of people have gone to theatres to root for you, to whistle during a particular scene where you were performing. That is a very humbling experience for me,” shared Rao.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal has been the talk of the town since its release in December 2023. The film, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna and Triptii Dimri, stirred up quite a storm. While the movie has faced its share of controversy — some critics have slammed it for its violent and seemingly misogynistic themes — it’s also been a massive hit at the box office. Despite the backlash, the film made around Rs 800 crore in global box office collections.