Javed Akhtar Says Angry Young Man Of Today Is 'Caricature', Cites Sandeep Vanga's Animal As Example

Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal was one of the most talked about movies of 2023. Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the film achieved accolades at the box office and became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. Despite its commercial success, the movie was riddled with controversies as a section of viewers claimed it to be sexist and misogynistic. One of the most vocal critics of the action drama was lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar. In a new interview, Akhtar has once again shared his candid opinions of the Ranbir Kapoor film.

Javed Akhtar disapproves of the 'angry young man' shown in Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal

In a recent interview with a media outlet, Javed Akhtar was asked about the concept of the 'angry young man' hero remains relevant in South Indian cinema but has lost its impact in the North. For the unversed, the original angry young man character first appeared in the iconic movie Zanjeer, written by Javed Akhtar. The writer said during the interview that many films have since tried to copy this character but have failed to capture its essence. Animal is the latest movie he criticised for this shortcoming.

In a conversation with We Are Yuvaa, Akhtar responded that Bollywood has turned the 'angry young man' character into a caricature by mindlessly copying old tropes. He argued in Hindi, “Wahan (in Suth) bhi dekhiye woh ultimately apna caricature ban raha hai. ("In the south also, he (the hero) is turning into a caricature.)." To validate his point, he mentioned a controversial scene in Animal where Ranbir Kapoor’s character asks Triptii Dimri’s Zoya to lick his shoe to prove her love. He stated that depicting an angry or strong man by having him ask a woman to lick his feet misrepresents the character, turning him into a caricature.

He stated, “Ab agar man hai toh woh hai jiska joota ek aurat chaate. Toh angry young man ka ya strong man ka caricature banna shuru ho chuka hai. (Now he is the kind of man who wants a woman to lick his shoe. He is already starting to turn into a caricature of an angry young man or a strong man.)” Despite his comments, Javed Akhtar asserted that he has not seen Animal yet.

When Javed Akhtar called Animals ‘dangerous’

This is not the first time Javed Akhtar has spoken out against Animal. Earlier, at the Ajanta Ellora International Film Festival in Aurangabad, the 78-year-old screenwriter called the movie ‘dangerous’ for society, expressing his concern over its portrayal of violence against women. He said, "If a film glorifies demeaning actions like a man asking a woman to lick his shoe or justifies violence against women, and still becomes a blockbuster, that's a dangerous trend."

Along with Ranbir Kapoor, Animal also stars Radhmika Mandanna, Triptii Dimri, Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor. The film had a glorious run in theatres and raked in ₹ 553.87 Cr at the domestic box office, as per Sacnilk. Animal is now streaming on Netflix.