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This year saw not one but three films that received a polarising response and yet are doing wonders at the box office. The political propaganda The Kerala Story, the belated sequel Gadar 2, and Sandeep Reddy Vanga's provocative gangster drama Animal divided both critics and masses with a severity that only a few Hindi movies have seen in the past, and yet this divided response has done the trick for these films. While the other films had been accused of propagating Islamophobia, Animal's allegations went a different route - it has been accused of glorifying toxic masculinity and misogyny. Animal Movie Review: Ranbir Kapoor's Provocative Performance Can't Rescue Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Exhausting and Disturbing Ode to Toxic Masculinity.
Through the despicability of the protagonist's behaviour and actions, director Vanga aims to provoke you, especially if you were one of those disgusted by the content of his last Hindi film Kabir Singh (the original Arjun Reddy didn't get the kind of flak that its Bollywood remake got). However, in trying to do so, Animal loses focus on trying to be a compelling film, especially the second half that keeps meandering till it tries to conclude on an emotional note, before dropping a shocker of a post-credit scene.
Animal has plenty of moments that would shock the viewers, but there are 15 scenes that truly stood out in terms of their WTF impact on us. Before we go ahead, let's warn you that the below article contains MAJOR SPOILERS about the film. So if you have not watched the film, kindly refrain from reading ahead.
The Opening Joke
Sandeep Reddy Vanga sets the tone right in the opening scene, where Ranbir Kapoor's character Ranvijay Singh makes a crass penis joke involving a monkey to his aides. The surprise factor is that the scene is set in 2056, and Ranbir is seen in an older man getup. Does this scene factor into the main plot? Except for the end-credit troll, not much. In fact, we could see it is a SPOILER regarding the fate of the protagonist, that he would survive the events of the film.
Big Pelvis
Ranvijay, who harbours a crush on his friend's younger sister, Geetanjali, tries to win her over on her engagement day in the most audacious argument ever. He details how the women in the ancient times always preferred alpha males over beta males, and how her pelvis is perfectly big to bear quite a few children. And since the women in Vanga's mind-world are so submissive to such alpha masculine thoughts, Geetanjali not only breaks her engagement but also elopes with this toxic man-child. Animal: Amidst Accusations of Misogyny, Old Video of Ranbir Kapoor Saying He Won't Take Roles That 'Belittle' Anyone Grabs Attention - WATCH!
Teenage Ranbir
In a scene reminiscent of Kabir Singh, a flashback portion in Animal shows a teenage Ranvijay drag his elder sister to her college to confront her raggers, that too with an AK-47 no less! Of course, he gets slapped by his father for what is clearly a criminal action. The deaging on Ranbir looks a little awkward, particularly since the actor may be made to look in his teens, but his voice is clearly that of an adult man.
(Not) Nazi Salute
After his father Balbir Singh gets near-fatally shot by unknown assailants, Ranvijay is asked to motivate the employees of his father's factory. He ends up giving a bloodthirsty speech promising to kill all involved in the attempted murder of his father (they even show this speech on news!). Imagine, even Shakti Kapoor is left shocked! Although this scene was talked about in the trailer itself, the Nazi symbolism in the sequence is hard to miss, from the Swastika in the background to Ranvijay raising his hand to swear like Hitler used to do. The movie later tries to downplay the Nazi allegories when a priest accuses Ranvijay's company of promoting Nazism, and he claims it's merely a Swastika and not the slanted Swastika used by Nazis. That's fooling no one, though! Animal: 'Heera Thakur Supremacy'! Fans Start Admiring Amitabh Bachchan's Sooryavansham Character After Watching Ranbir Kapoor's Film, Share Funny Memes and Jokes - Here's Why!
Balbir's Doppelganger
Perhaps the film's most fun element that it doesn't properly utilise is when Ranvijay, perhaps taking a page out of Hitler's book, brings a lookalike of Balbir to serve as a decoy for future attacks. While Anil Kapoor usually gave a serious performance as Balbir, the doppelganger character allowed him to act irreverent and was quite a cool idea. Alas, he is gunned down mercilessly in just a couple of scenes.
Underwear Chatter
Before the film's famous pre-interval action block, Ranvijay is seen arguing with his staff regarding the kind of bleach that they use to wash his underwear, which is giving him a rash. Later when they are attacked at the hotel right in the middle of their arms deal, Ranvijay tells Freddie to give his underwear to him. But why? For someone who cares about even the brand of bleach used to wash his underwear, why would you wear someone else's underwear, a person you haven't even met before this? Apart from the hygiene matter, this scene feels like a gratuitous joke that doesn't really land well.
Black Box Orgasming
When Geetanjali catches her recovering husband smoking, the latter tries to calm her down by making her listen to the sounds of their first lovemaking session from the recovered black box of the plane where they did it. Which reminds us, how did they actually escape from that plane crash, considering they needed to recover the black box years later?
Hanging D*ck
After Ranvijay gets a liver transplant, our bad boy celebrates by walking out of his manor in all his naked glory, leaving his family and househelp shocked and embarrassed, while his bodyguards are amused. Although Vanga doesn't show outright frontal nudity, keeping the naughty bits out of focus, you can certainly make out the outline of... well, Kapoor's 'animal'.
Geethanjali's Woes
That pelvis comment should have actually made Geetanjali walk the opposite direction when she had the chance, so we cannot really pity her much for the kind of mental, psychological, and physical abuse that her husband puts her through the rest of the film. He believes women only change pads four times a month during their periods; he kept hurting her by pulling her bra strap so much that she had to slap him to stop. He made her strip her clothes off so that he could sleep on her bosom even when there is a maid present in her room. Actually, this section requires an entire feature in itself on how Ranvijay was a 'perfect husband' to her. The height of these abuses comes when Ranvijay cheats on her with Zoya (on the pretext of exposing her as a mole) and then confesses to his wife, leading to a righteously long anguished rant from Geetanjali. Just when we are about to scream 'Attagirl!', the couple ends up making out! Told ya, this woman deserves no pity! Animal: Intimate Scenes of Rashmika Mandanna in Black Bra With Ranbir Kapoor Leak on Social Media and Take Internet by Storm!
Abrar's Wedding Night
Even though his character is not a very well-written antagonist stunted by the lack of screentime given to him, at least Bobby Deol's Abrar had a memorable intro scene. Getting wed for the third time, the mute-by-choice Abrar kills an aide in full public display and ends the festivities there and then. We are then shown his first night sequence, where the bride (who is pregnant BTW) is left with a bloodied face (whether the blood is the remnants of Abrar's unfortunate aide or repercussions of his violent lovemaking, we are not sure). The depravity of Abrar doesn't end there; he then calls in his other two wives and proceeds to strip off one of them. Seriously, who broke Vanga's heart so badly?
PS: Why did Abrar's brother need to explain to the bride that her husband is mute? Considering Abrar made her pregnant, wouldn't she have known this aspect beforehand?
Showing Zoya Her Place
After Ranvijay pulls off a car explosion stunt straight out of The Godfather, it scares Zoya enough to confess that she has been a mole working for Abrar sent to spy on him, and then goes on to detail the plans that his enemies have made for him. She claims that she has now fallen for him, to which a betrayed Ranvijay asks her to prove her love. How, you ask? He tells her to lick his boots. Zoya even contemplates doing so, but thanks to the 'magnanimity' of our hero, he backs off and spares her life. Animal: Tripti Dimri's Nude Scene From Ranbir Kapoor-Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Film Leaks on Social Media!
Animal's 'Martha' Moment
It's only in the climax that Abrar and Ranvijay come face to face, and for reasons best known to the director, he opts to play the emotional beats of "Saari Duniya Jalaa Denge" which feels odd when Ranvijay goes to confront Abrar. Maybe the music could have worked in a more intense moment of the fight. Anyway, the fight that soon rips off the shirts of the men - as expected in a film that celebrates male bravadoes - gets interrupted when Ranvijay, who lost his hearing aid in the fight, tries to come to a compromise with his cousin. Dude, didn't you just get there to kill him? If that doesn't make sense then what is a moment that is Animal's equivalent to the infamous 'Martha' moment of Batman V Superman, Abrar's brother shouts Abrar can't talk, to which Ranvijay's men shout back saying Ranvijay can't hear. It is a misplaced moment of comedy that this scene definitely didn't require.
Balbir's Got Cancer
After killing Abrar and then having his house celebrate Diwali, Ranvijay goes to invite his father to join the celebrations. It is then Balbir drops a bomb on his son - he reveals he is suffering from stage 4 cancer and has his days numbered. This could have been quite a poetic moment of natural justice in the film - despite all his violent means to protect his father, Ranvijay's efforts are simply rendered moot by Fate. However, this revelation is swiftly brushed under the carpet as the brat indulges in more self-pitying exercise prompting his father to apologise for not giving him enough attention when he was a child.
Animal Park
Animal has a major post-credit scene that people are talking about, even though it makes no sense apart from allowing Ranbir to showcase an even darker side of his acting (if we thought that wasn't possible). Earlier it was told that Abrar had another brother called Aziz, who is known as the 'butcher' of Turkey. When we finally get to see him, this brother now has the face of Ranvijay done through plastic surgeries. Apparently, he had sent Zoya to Ranvijay to study his entire physical features during their intimate sessions. He lives up to his nickname by mercilessly butchering two of Ranvijay's captured men, and is also an expert on women's vomit, easily deducing that Zoya's puke is that of pregnancy and not of revulsion from the bloodshed. He also tells Abrar's widowed third wife that he would marry her and be a father to her twins (?). The final frame of him teases a sequel - Animal Park - though when it will get made and to what depraved lengths it will go, only Vanga's twisted mind and Ranbir's submissive attitude can answer! Animal Ending Explained: What's 'Animal Park'? Decoding the Climax of Ranbir Kapoor-Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Violent Saga!
The Fourth Wall Break
Animal doesn't end here. There is one more scene after the post-credit reveal, which brings us back to the old-man Ranbir who walks and turns towards the screen, looks into the camera and then gestures towards his private part in an abrasive manner, which was the punchline of the joke he was saying in the opening line. The film's supporters may think this is merely a tease of the sequel, but many believe this is Vanga going meta with his response to the haters of Kabir Singh and also those who are turned off by the movie. Fair enough, but to make an entire movie to spite your haters is some curious ego play!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 05, 2023 09:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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