Why Swanand Kirkire thinks 'Animal' misused poetry and power
What's the story
National Award-winning writer and lyricist Swanand Kirkire has voiced his discontent with Sandeep Reddy Vanga's film Animal, citing its inconsistent portrayal of poetry.
In an interview with The Lallantop, Kirkire highlighted the film's "hypocrisy," where poetry is dismissed in dialogue but later used to create a sense of thrill.
He expressed disappointment over the film's overwhelming reception, particularly among young viewers.
Poetry controversy
'Same film uses poetry to turn Ranvijay into alpha male'
Kirkire slammed a dialogue in the film where Ranbir Kapoor's character, Rannvijay, tells Rashmika Mandanna's Geetanjali that insecure men who couldn't become alpha males became poets.
He added, "The film claims that those who couldn't be alpha males became poets, as if poetry is the last resort of insecure men. And yet, the same film uses poetry and lyrics to turn Ranvijay into an alpha male."
Acceptance issue
Kirkire expressed concern over the acceptance of 'Animal'
Kirkire noted that the Hindi film industry has always taught its audiences to see women with empathy and respect.
He cited films like Mehboob Khan's Aurat, Guru Dutt's Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Vikas Bahl's Queen, and Shoojit Sircar's Piku as examples of this progressive lens.
However, his biggest contention with Animal wasn't its existence but how easily it was accepted by the masses, particularly by girls.
Toxic masculinity
'What disturbed me was how Vanga rejected positive masculinity'
Kirkire also voiced his displeasure at Animal glorifying masculinity. He said Hindi cinema helped men like him from Indore understand the true meaning of gender equality.
The lyricist recounted meeting a girl who'd watched the film twice and was enamored by Bobby Deol's character.
"What disturbed me was how Vanga rejected all forms of positive masculinity and instead glorified its most toxic form," he said.
Film controversy
'Animal' faced criticism but became a superhit
Co-written and directed by Vanga, Animal boasts an impressive star cast, including Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Deol, Mandanna, and Triptii Dimri.
The film has garnered criticism for its toxic masculinity and violence. However, despite the backlash, it went on to become a blockbuster, earning ₹915 crore globally.
A sequel, Animal Park, is reportedly in the works.
This isn't Kirkire's first criticism of the film; he had earlier said Animal was "embarrassing the glorious history of Indian cinema."