Sandeep Reddy Vanga's latest film Animal featuring Ranbir Kapoor in the lead role, has stirred a debate on its portrayal of toxic masculinity. It also drew criticism from a veteran lyricist who also happens to be actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar’s father. He deemed films like Animal as potentially dangerous for society.

Sandeep Vanga says critics should watch the film before slamming it

In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, Sandeep Vanga responded to Farhan’s father's remarks and asserted that it is evident Akhtar did not watch the entire film. Sandeep expressed disappointment and said, "If someone is talking without watching the film, what can I say about them? Obviously, you feel bad because it is very clear that he has not seen the film."

Sandeep suggested that before pointing fingers at his work, critics should reflect on their own surroundings and scrutinise the content produced by their close associates.

Sandeep Vanga slams Farhan Akhtar’s Mirzapur

Taking a direct jab at Farhan’s father, Sandeep questioned why Akhtar did not express similar concerns about his son's work. Sandeep specifically pointed to Farhan's involvement in the production of Mirzapur, a widely acclaimed but controversial web series.

Sandeep said, “Why didn’t he tell the same thing to Farhan Akhtar when he was producing Mirzapur. Duniya bhar ke gaali Mirzapur ek show mai hai and I haven’t watched the whole show. When the show was translated to Telugu, if you watch that, then you will feel like puking. Why is he not checking his son’s work?”

The critique of Farhan’s father around Animal was centred on a controversial scene where Ranbir Kapoor's character instructs Tripti Dimri's character to lick his shoe. 

Animal was recently released on the OTT platform Netflix and also features Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol. Despite the controversy, Animal became a commercial success and grossed over Rs 900 crores worldwide.