Animal (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – A son’s obsessive love for his father. Often away due to work the father is unable to comprehend the intensity of his son’s love. Ironically, this fervent love and admiration for his father and family creates conflict between the father and son.

My Take – Upon release, filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga‘s Arjun Reddy (2017) and its Hindi remake, Kabir Singh (2019) gained extreme notoriety, along with massive box office numbers, for lacing its lead character with extreme traits of toxic masculinity and misogyny, especially in this woke day and age. And if that bothered you, wait till you watch his latest.

In his promise to showcase genuine violence in Indian cinema, here, director Vanga has dared to create a world where everything is heightened to the maximum, making the violence seem normal and the behavior of his new lead even more uninhibited, unhinged, aggressive and self-destructive. In his own words, he’s the quintessential alpha male.

Running for an exhausting 201 minutes, this Godfather-esque tale is all of its highs and lows, offers a captivating experience with impressive background music, memorable songs, and technical finesse. Mainly through the persona of Ranbir Kapoor who is unleashed in a devilish, menacing and unhinged avatar on the unsuspecting audience.

Right from the start to end, this film is a Ranbir Kapoor show and the phenomenal actor hits it out of the park in the role. His hard work is evident, as he truly raises the bar for his contemporaries. Simply told, it will be a feast to people who can overlook all the flaws and embrace the very entertaining tale of extreme bloodshed, testosterone and blatant misogyny.

The story follows Ranvijay “Vijay” Singh (Ranbir Kapoor), the son of Balbir Singh (Anil Kapoor), a Delhi-based business magnate who heads the generational steel company, Swastik Steels. Since childhood, Ranvijay has idolized and worshiped his father, and has spent most of his time seeking his love and attention but all in vain, as the millionaire is busy with the business and doesn’t have time for his family.

Plus, with Ranvijay’s increasing reckless behavior he sent off to a boarding school in the U.S., only to return a few years later for his father’s 60th birthday, but as that too ends up in a scuffle due to his brother-in-law Varun (Siddharth Karnick). He once again leaves for the U.S. with his childhood love and friend’s sister Geetanjali (Rashmika Mandanna), as their families don’t accept their inter-caste marriage.

However, eight years later, upon receiving the news that Balbir has been shot, the two return to India with their kids, hoping to reconcile. And while Balbir wholeheartedly accepts them, Ranvijay, joined by a small army of his long forgotten cousins, begins a ferocious, deadly and ruthless war against anyone who aims to hurt Balbir.

A determination that drives him mad, takes a toll on his relationship with Geetanjali, his physical and mental health, and puts him in cross hairs with the much deadlier Abrar Haque (Bobby Deol). But straightening out these creases isn’t a priority for Ranvijay as much as protecting his father and making him proud is.

The screenplay that director Sandeep Reddy Vanga has co-written with Pranay Reddy Vanga and Saurabh Gupta takes care of all gripping elements and ensures that each frame offers a cinematically visual treat. His storytelling is unconventional with multiple cuts from a certain scene to the other, from flashback to present, from one plot point to the other, but it all comes together eventually.

Sure, a run time of 201 minutes might be an extremely lengthy run-time for a film but director Vanga makes sure that you don’t lose your patience and stay glued to the screen. The narrative rarely drops pace. Some of the best moments of the film come in the first half.

Be it Ranvijay’s introduction, his meeting with Geetanjali, the entire dramatic chunk at Balbir’s 60th birthday, the gun sequence in the college, and the prolonged action-packed interval block. The pre-interval scene includes an almost 30-minute long two-part action sequence and that remains the highlight of the film.

The level of violence here is not limited to bloodshed in action sequences. The protagonist is violent in every emotion whether it is romancing his wife or speaking to his father or defending his sister or arguing with his brother-in-law. Some scenes are scary not because of the violence or brutality.

The film is dark, loud and garish but also unapologetic. It has guns blazing with the background score sometimes overpowering the dialogues. But somehow, all of that works. Amid all the grimness and goriness, you will also find yourself cracking up from time to time, thanks to the cheeky approach.

However, the makers could have trimmed a lot of the plot points in the second half and skipped faster to the climax. The Ranvijay’s revenge arc could have benefited from more nuanced writing. The entire change in the dynamic of Ranvijay and Geetanjali seems out of place and director Vanga stretches it too far with his writing of women in the film, which might make most of the audiences (including myself) uncomfortable.

Performances wise, Ranbir Kapoor is in top form, and becomes an Animal in its truest sense. Prior to this film, it was quite difficult to imagine Ranbir in a larger-than-life avatar, but the actor surpasses all expectations to deliver a turn that will be remembered for decades. He brings in the aura and demeanor that was needed for a character like this, be it in his walk, swag, or the action sequences, Ranbir Kapoor is a giant force to reckon with.

Rashmika Madanna is fine on her part and peaks with her performance in the emotional outburst in the second half. Anil Kapoor maintains a calm through his actions in the film, and underplaying the part is something that only a seasoned actor could do.

Bobby Deol appears only in the second half and despite a limited screen time, leaves an indelible impression. He’s seen in a never-seen-before devilish avatar that will leave you fearful and aghast. We wish there were more scenes between Abrar and Ranvijay because their menacing chemistry is rather impressive.

Tripti Dimri leaves a lasting impression in her small role. In other roles, Prem Chopra, Shakti Kapoor, Siddharth Karnick, Upendra Limaye, Charu Shankar, Babloo Prithiveeraj, Anshul Chauhan and Saloni Batra are effective. On the whole, ‘Animal’ is a violent roller coaster ride that will keep you hooked throughout.