Animal, directed by the provocateur Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Ranbir Kapoor, has delivered the biggest second-weekend haul in the history of Hindi-language cinema.
The film is now less than US$15 million (S$20 million) shy of becoming the third Bollywood release of 2023 to pass the coveted US$100 million mark at the global box office – a rarity for Indian films, even more so in the same calendar year.
The film was released in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada on Dec 1.
Animal, which tracks the hyper-violent story of a vengeful man with severe daddy issues, delivered the second-biggest opening for Bollywood this year, sandwiched between two Shah Rukh Khan blockbusters – Pathaan and Jawan.
After 10 days of release, Animal has made Rs770 crore (US$86 million) worldwide. Of this, more than US$50 million has come from India, and more than US$11 million from North American theatres.
Animal is now the third-biggest overall Indian hit of the year behind Pathaan (US$130 million) and Jawan (US$138 million), both domestically and worldwide.
While both those films served as rebound vehicles for objectively the biggest Indian movie star of his generation, Shah Rukh Khan, Animal establishes Ranbir as arguably his true successor.
The actor has had an uneven post-pandemic run, which began with the disastrous Shamshera, and continued with the modest hit Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva, and the romantic comedy Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar.
However, much of Animal’s success can be attributed to Vanga, who, at just three films old, is a brand unto himself.
The 41-year-old does not always make the right news, though.
While each of his movies have been successful at the box office, Animal is the biggest A-rated film – India’s equivalent of the R rating.
The film has also been criticised for its brazen misogyny and glorification of toxic masculinity. As more people become attuned to the director’s sensibilities, the backlash has become louder.
Venga experienced something similar in 2019, with the film Kabir Singh. Like Animal, that movie defied poor reviews and emerged as one of the biggest Bollywood hits of the year.
Animal’s record-breaking success has shown that reviews have little influence when the target audience’s endorsement is all that matters.
The film currently sits at a “rotten” 29 per cent score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, while it has a much higher audience score of 81 per cent.
Also starring Rashmika Mandanna, Triptii Dimrri, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol, the film eulogises alpha males and their controversial traits, sparking heated debates on toxic masculinity and the subdued portrayal of women in Vanga’s films.
Through its action-packed, blood-soaked 204 minutes, Animal seeks to give audiences a thrill while glorifying ruthlessly sexist behaviour by turning chauvinist men into action heroes.
Ranbir plays Ranvijay Singh, a character obsessed with his absentee father (Kapoor). He woos Geetanjali (Rashmika) by emphasising traits like hunting prowess and providing for the family. The mention of male genitalia, both in all seriousness and humour, further dilutes the idea of healthy masculinity.
As the plot unfolds, Ranvijay evolves into a man surrounded by a bunch of alpha males who resort to violence as the ultimate solution to anything that bothers them.
This uncalled-for dominance and toxic masculinity have triggered a wave of criticism, with audiences and film critics expressing their discontent with the film’s storyline and portrayal of characters. Some hail Ranvijay as a hero, while others condemn him as being violent and animalistic.
Public figures such as cricketer Jaydev Unadkat and lyricist Swanand Kirkire expressed their disappointment with the movie, calling it pathetic, while noted film critics Anupama Chopra and Bhawana Somaaya labelled it “overtly violent and misogynistic”.
Despite this, Animal continues to thrive at the box office, prompting discussions about the audience’s taste and the broader responsibility of filmmakers.
Indo-Asian News service
