Vikas Divyakirti Blasts Ranbir Kapoor's Animal For Alpha Male Concept, Lick My Boot Dialogue

It seems the debate around Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal is far from over. Vikas Divyakirti, educator and author, who helps UPSC aspirants, in a recent interview, slammed the movie, particularly the “lick my shoe” scene and called it “inhuman”.

‘Alpha male concept belongs to animals, wolves, not humans’

Vikas appeared in A Man Yaar podcast, where he was asked about toxic masculinity in society amid the success of movies like Animal. To this, he replied that Ranbir’s character in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's directorial is “proud” of being an alpha male. However, this concept belongs to animals and not humans. And those still running after this concept belong in the jungle. “Hum jungle se bohot aage nikal chuke hain, jo jungle mein ruke huye hai who alpha male ban ne ke chakkar mein hai aur hum aur janwar mein kuch toh antar bacha ke rakhan padega,” he added.

‘Mera joota lick karo' kitna inhuman hai’

Elaborating on how toxic masculinity hampers men, he said that the concept of masculinity now revolves around looks. Then you start hating women. Starts distancing yourself from them or treating them as objects. “Usse ye kehna ki 'Mera joota lick karo' kitna inhuman hai. Kya bachta hai iske baad rishte mein? Toxic masculinity ka sabse bada nuksaan us admi ke saath hota hai ki duniya mein ek bhi vyakti nahi bachta jo usse pyaar kare,” he continued.

Owing this neither his wife, mother or daughter loves them and if they like being feared over being loved, they are “stupid”.

Animal was widely criticised for the same scene where Rannvijay Singh asks Zoya (played by Triptii Dimri) to lick his shows to prove her love to him. The scene also highlights extramarital affairs. Despite being criticised heavily, the movie performed well at the box office, becoming a blockbuster hit film of 2023.