Why 'Animal's X page took dig at lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar
What's the story
Ever since its release on December 1, Animal has polarized viewers, film critics, and celebrities.
Ranbir Kapoor's most successful film commercially, it has been heavily badgered online for its alleged attack on feminism and glorification of toxic masculinity.
One of Animal's recent critics is Bollywood writer-lyricist-poet Javed Akhtar, who indirectly expressed his dissatisfaction with it.
Now, Animal's X handle is rattled by the critique.
Akhtar's words
This is what Akhtar had recently said
At a film festival, Akhtar recently said, "The image of a hero should be created with an awareness of what is right."
"If there's a film in which a man asks a woman to lick his shoe or if a man says it's okay to slap a woman...and the film is a super hit, that's dangerous," the writer said, indirectly referring to Animal.
Response
Now, 'Animal's social media page has responded angrily
Responding to Akhtar, Animal's X page tweeted, "Writer of your caliber cannot understand the betrayal of a lover (Between Zoya-Ranvijay) then all your art form is big FALSE (sic)."
"If a woman (betrayed and fooled by a man in...love) would have said 'lick my shoe'...you guys would have celebrated it by calling it feminism. Let love be free from the politics of gender."
Twitter Post
Read the full tweet here
Writer of your calibre cannot understand the betrayal of a lover (Between Zoya & Ranvijay) then all your art form is big FALSE 🙃 & If a woman (betrayed and fooled by a man in the name of love) would have said "lick my shoe" then you guys would have celebrated it by calling it…
— Animal The Film (@AnimalTheFilm) January 7, 2024
The scene
Which scene are they fighting over?
Spoiler ahead.
The aforementioned scene occurs in Animal's second half when Zoya (Tripti Dimri) realizes that Ranvijay (Kapoor) knows that she is an ally of his arch-nemesis Abrar (Bobby Deol).
A tearful Zoya then tells Ranvijay that she has fallen for him, and he asks her to lick his shoe to prove her love and loyalty.
She proceeds to, but then Ranvijay walks away.
Women's treatment in Vanga's films
Director Vanga purposely creates meek female characters
Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga is notorious for his misogynistic stances. He once said, "If you don't have the liberty of slapping each other, then I don't see anything (love) there."
This thought reverberates in his cinema (Arjun Reddy, Kabir Singh, and Animal). His films are infamous for presenting meek, submissive female characters and instead focusing on hypermasculine men.
His next is Spirit with Prabhas.