Ranbir Kapoor with Saloni Batra. (courtesy: saloni_batra_)
Ranbir Kapoor's Animal might be a box office hit but the film had been slammed by critics and a section of the Internet for its representation of toxic masculinity, misogyny and excessive use of violence in the film. Reacting to the snowballing controversy around the film, actress Saloni Batra, who featured as Ranbir Kapoor's onscreen sister, in a recent interview with DNA, said, "I am a facilitator. It's my job as an actor to facilitate what an artiste wants to bring the table, who are the creators. Now, they have a vision about this character in this world. This character, the way he talks and behaves, is toxic. But the story is about him and Sandeep sir (film's director Sandeep Reddy Vanga) has chosen to tell his story in his way. As an audience, it is our responsibility to watch and decide what is right and wrong. If that character is firing a gun in the college, it doesn't mean it's right."
Saloni Batra added, "This is a vision of an artiste for entertainment. In this world, the character stands true but like I said, it is your responsibility as an audience that you don't take it home. You came to the theatre and were entertained. And that is the job of cinema. You don't have to learn from it. You don't have to take it back home and tell people that it's ok to say such things to women."
Ms Batra stated that the film's director Sandeep Reddy Vanga "is not being a teacher." "As a woman, I would be offended if someone in real life did that to me. But, such people exist. And this story is about one such story. The director is not being a teacher. He is being an entertainer," she was quoted by DNA as saying.
Directed by Arjun Reddy director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, other than Ranbir Kapoor, Animal also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Triptii Dimri in pivotal roles. The film released on December 1.