It's controversial/ RJ Balaji Slams Sandeep Vanga's Animal, Says 'I feel Bad That Audiences Are Enjoying Such Films'

Popular actor-director RJ Balaji has taken a stand against the treatment of women in the blockbuster film Animal directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. Expressing his disapproval, Balaji revealed that he intentionally avoided watching the film in theatres, disturbed by the audience's enjoyment of misogynistic scenes.

RJ Balaji says he felt bad after people enjoyed Animal

Animal featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, and Triptii Dimri, faced criticism for its portrayal of women among other problematic things. In an interview with Indiaglitz, Balaji shared, "I know everyone likes to say ‘watch the movie like a movie and treat it as a craft’ but it stuck with me that a set of people locked in a theatre were enjoying a guy mistreating women and hurling abuses at them.”

“I feel bad that the audiences are enjoying such films. I don’t think it’s normal to react to such scenes with enjoyment”, Balaji added.

Animal Has Negative Influence On Youngsters 

As a filmmaker, Balaji condemned the film for its potential negative influence on youngsters and addressed his concern about scenes promoting the mistreatment of women. He cited an instance where an actor (Triptii Dimri) was asked to lick a shoe, expressing worry that such scenes could lead youngsters to believe such behaviour is acceptable. He added, “I don’t want to watch and get influenced to keep similar scenes. I don’t want my films to add to that.”

Despite its controversial content, Animal has emerged as the highest-grossing film of 2023, accumulating approximately Rs 900 crore worldwide since its December 1 release. The movie explores an emotionally unstable relationship between a father and son, portrayed by Ranbir and Anil Kapoor.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga, known for his previous directorial ventures Arjun Reddy and its Hindi remake Kabir Singh faced mixed reactions with Animal. While some praised the film for its bold approach and Ranbir Kapoor's performance, others criticised it for being problematic on many levels.