Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Animal’s team face backlash over their recent statement against Javed Akhtar, who labeled the film’s success as ‘dangerous’.
Javed Akhtar has shared his thoughts on Animal, Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s film featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Anil Kapoor, during the film’s star-studded success bash in Mumbai over the weekend.
Following Javed Akhtar’s criticism of the film “Animal,” the team behind the movie, including filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga, responded by mocking the veteran lyricist-writer during the film’s success celebration.
In reaction to this, fans of Javed Akhtar, recognizing his iconic contributions to Indian cinema as part of the legendary Salim-Javed writing duo, are now rallying to defend him.
They are expressing their support for Javed Akhtar and criticizing Sandeep Reddy Vanga for what they perceive as disrespectful comments,
ndicating that the filmmaker may have underestimated the impact and respect Akhtar holds in the industry.
Fans of Javed Akhtar are expressing their support and appreciation for the veteran lyricist-writer by sharing clips of his iconic work on social media platforms, especially on Twitter (referred to as X in the provided text).
Javed Akhtar, without explicitly mentioning the film “Animal,” had alluded to a controversial scene in it, featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Triptii Dimri, where the female character is asked to lick the shoes of the male character.
Akhtar expressed concern about the commercial success of films that include such problematic scenes, deeming it a “dangerous” trend in the industry.
Twitter users reacted to the Animal team’s snide remarks by sharing clips of Javed Akhtar’s notable work, emphasizing the lyricist’s significant contributions to Indian cinema. One user shared a clip of the song “Dastaan – E – Om Shanti Om” from the movie Om Shanti Om (2007), starring Shah Rukh Khan, expressing that any song written by Javed Akhtar surpasses Vanga’s complete filmography.
Another user shared a clip of Shah Rukh Khan and Gayatri Joshi in the Swades song “Pal Pal Hai Bhaari,” highlighting Akhtar’s impactful art form.
Twitter users continued to respond by sharing clips from Javed Akhtar’s work, emphasizing the impact and timeless nature of his contributions to Indian cinema.
One user shared a clip of Amitabh Bachchan from the 1975 film “Deewaar,” mentioning that Salim-Javed, the legendary writing duo, had defined concepts like ‘alpha’ and ‘mass’ long before Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s birth.
Another user posted a still from “Deewaar,” highlighting that the film portrayed a hyper-masculine antihero who treated women with respect, contrasting it with the controversial scene from Animal.
The Animal team responded to Javed Akhtar’s criticism by asserting that if a writer of his caliber couldn’t understand the portrayal of a lover’s betrayal in their film, then his entire art form is considered “big FALSE.” They argued that if a woman, betrayed and fooled in the name of love, had said ‘lick my shoe,’ it might have been celebrated as feminism. The team emphasized the need to let love be free from gender politics and simply referred to the characters in the film as lovers, where betrayal and lies occurred.
“Animal,” directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Ranbir Kapoor, has faced criticism for its portrayal of toxic relationships, misogyny, and violence, despite its commercial success, grossing over ₹900 crore worldwide. Javed Akhtar expressed his concern over the success of such films, citing the portrayal of a lover’s betrayal in “Animal.” The film also features Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol.
Javed Akhtar expressed concern about films that feature scenes of a man asking a woman to lick his shoe and promoting violence against women. While not directly naming “Animal,” he referred to a controversial scene between Ranbir Kapoor and Triptii Dimrii. Javed also hinted at Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s previous films, “Kabir Singh” and its Telugu original “Arjun Reddy,” known for their intense and controversial content.
