Earlier we saw South director Atlee presenting Shah Rukh Khan in the most massiest avatar of his career in Jawan and now we have another South director Sandeep Reddy Vanga presenting Ranbir Kapoor in a never seen before avatar. The film is a gangster drama which provides beast size entertainment with a proper dose of emotions along with family values added in it.
Ranbir Kapoor is the best actor of his generation and there is no doubt in it. What Ranbir has done in Animal, will remain a dream for many actors. Ranbir Kapoor has never looked so dangerous, violent and brutal in his entire career. Sandeep Reddy Vanga has presented Ranbir in a never seen before avatar which will be remembered for years. Ranbir’s character has many layers in it and Ranbir has done full justice to his part. The transformation which Ranbir Kapoor has gone through in Animal really deserves a salute. Ranbir was on a complete rampage mode and is a total beast in the film. Just like a wild animal, he has eaten everyone in the film with his crazy performance.
Anil Kapoor is a legend. Anil Kapoor is an actor who can play any kind of role, be it a role of a dashing young man or a father. This was a tailor made role for Anil and his relationship with Ranbir is absolutely amazing. The characters played by Ranbir and Anil Kapoor will be relatable to many people out there.
Rashmika Mandanna plays the wife of Ranbir Kapoor. She needs to really work hard on her accent, thankfully she played the role of a South Indian lady in Animal which saved her from criticism. Her chemistry with Ranbir is good but nothing sort of great.
Bobby Deol looks much more wild and dangerous than Ranbir. He plays a mute character in the film. Without speaking a single word, Bobby creates a different atmosphere whenever he appears on-screen. Bobby has just got a screen presence of 20-25 minutes, but the impact which he had left on the viewers is unbelievable. If Bobby would not have been played a mute person, his role wouldn’t have been that effective. Bobby has created wonders just with his deadly look and scary expressions.
Tripti Dimri looks gorgeous and has hardly got any dialogues. Tripti’s character could have been written in a much better way. The supporting cast of Animal including Shakti Kapoor, Saloni Batra, Anshul Chauhan, Suresh Oberoi, Upendra Limaye, Prem Chopra and others have done a wonderful job.
The best thing about Animal is that Vanga has not focused much on the love story part of Ranbir and Rashmika and has beautifully explored the father-son bond between Anil Kapoor and Ranbir.
The saddest part is we did not get to see much of Bobby Deol. The character which Bobby is playing deserves a proper film. If not equal, he should have got at least more than 50% of screen presence in the film.
Animal has certain flaws and lacks logic in many scenes. The film also has some scenes which are left unanswered and we hope that we can get a proper satisfactory answer in the sequel. There are some scenes where characters are clueless and start acting in a dumb manner, but the overall impact makes us forget about all these small mistakes.
The first half of Animal is an absolute riot. The first half offers a rich viewing experience by making it a delightful watch. There is not a single dull moment in the first half. The first 20 minutes of the second half may bore the viewers. From the moment when Bobby Deol arrives on the screen in the second half to the very last scene, there is no looking back for Animal.
The biggest fear of Animal was its long duration of 200 minutes, but the makers have kept the audience engaged. Sandeep Reddy Vanga has never made Animal look stretched or forced in the entire narrative. A little bit of editing of 20 minutes wouldn’t have harmed much to the narrative.
The writing could have been slightly better than what we saw on-screen. The screenplay is fast paced. There are many scenes which set the stage on fire and Vanga has designed them beautifully.
The music of Animal is good but not great. Ranbir Kapoor has always been lucky with music in his films. Saari Duniya Jalaa Denge is the best song of Animal and what is released by makers is just a small part of the song, the film has an extended version with much powerful lyrics. The entire fight sequence of Saari Duniya Jalaa Denge is arguably the best part of Animal. Arjan Vailly is used at proper time and gives goosebumps to the viewers. Satranga and Papa Meri Jaan are situational and look good on-screen. The remaining songs are strictly average.
The pre interval action sequence is the major highlight of Animal. It can be easily regarded as one of the greatest action sequences of 2023. The pre interval action sequence is Ranbir Kapoor’s most massiest scene in his entire career. Theaters are going to turn into stadiums during the pre interval action block.
The way in which Sandeep Reddy Vanga has presented to Ranbir Kapoor is totally unbelievable. Shah Rukh Khan amazed us with his anti-hero performances in films like Baazigar, Darr and Anjaam and then established himself as the greatest romantic hero of all time. Ranbir has created his lover boy image and with Animal he has entered into the acting zone which no one can come close to. Ranbir has delivered solid performances in films like Sanju, Barfi, Rocket Singh and Wake Up Sid, but Animal is something unimaginable. Animal is surely in the list of top 3 best performances of Ranbir Kapoor.
Kudos to Sandeep Reddy Vanga for making such a violent film without making any compromise. He has believed in his vision and has presented one of the most brutal films of recent times in mainstream cinema. The way Sandeep has presented gangster crime drama by keeping it front loaded is a huge achievement.
The gangster and crime based films don’t have much scope at the Indian Box Office, but Animal is going to be a trendsetter film.
Animal being a gangster based film and having excessive violence promotes crime. The film will have a negative impact, but the emotional part and family drama is something which the audience can cheer for.
From the very first scene, Vanga prepares us for this wild Animal. He creates a different world of his own by mentally challenging the audience. Though his characters lack morality, they are emotionally very strong. The way Ranbir’s character transforms into a beast by looking at the consequences ik his family is excellently showcased. Ranbir nails the role of a protective son, protective brother, protective husband and a protective father.
The film will have many feminism based debates due to male dominance shown in Animal. Vanga has always presented his character in the most violent form, be it Kabir Singh or Animal. In terms of characterization and boldness Vanga has gone 10 steps higher than what he presented in Kabir Singh.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga knows the nerves of the Indian audience very well. He has presented the reality in the film and all his characters are easily relatable. He has presented Animal in such a manner which can win the hearts of many despite having a negative theme.
Animal is a film which can be enjoyed by classes as well as masses. Those who are allergic to excessive violence should stay away from it, as they won’t be able to digest the film.
Overall Animal is a giant size entertainer which is worth every penny of yours. The film deserves a one time watch at least for superlative performances by all the actors. Ranbir and Bobby’s wild avatars are enough to make the audience go crazy over the film. Sandeep Reddy Vanga once said that he will show Bollywood how to make a violent film and he has proved it with his roaring direction. A perfect film for mass as well as class lovers which should not be missed at any cost.
Rating – 3/5*
