Who Is Charu Shankar, Actor Playing Ranbir Kapoor's Mother In Animal

Charu Shankar portrays Ranbir Kapoor's on-screen mother in the recently released movie Animal, despite being just a year older than him in real life. IMDb records her birthdate as August 17, 1981, while Ranbir Kapoor was born on September 28, 1982. In the film, Charu, aged 42, essays the roles of Jyoti B Singh, wife to Balbir R Singh, portrayed by 66-year-old Anil Kapoor, and the mother of Ranvijay Vijay Balbir Singh, enacted by 41-year-old Ranbir Kapoor.

Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Animal boasts a star-studded cast including Ranbir Kapoor, Triptii Dimri, Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, Charu Shankar, Anil Kapoor, Shakti Kapoor, Prem Chopra, and others. The crime thriller hints at a sequel titled Animal Park during the film's narrative.

Charu Shankar's Role In Animal:

While Charu Shankar's role in the movie is brief, she manages to hold her own alongside Anil Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor. In moments where she confronts Anil’s character on fatherhood or witnesses her on-screen son unleash pent-up emotions, Shankar's portrayal of maternal helplessness captivates attention in her scenes.

Charu Shankar, born on August 17, 1981, a year before Ranbir Kapoor (born September 28, 1982), has addressed the discussion about their close age gap. Even Sandeep Reddy Vanga initially felt she appeared too young to portray Ranbir’s mother.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga On Casting Charu Shankar's Role

In an interview with ETimes, Charu shared her casting journey, expressing how Sandeep Reddy Vanga initially felt she might be too youthful for the role.

She said, "I got a call straight from the director’s team early last year, but when I went to meet Sandeep, he was very polite and he said, ‘Thank you for coming’, but I think you are too young to play Jyoti in the later part of the film. At the time I had already shot for ‘Rocket Boys’. So I showed him photos of myself as Indira Gandhi on my phone, saying ‘I love the challenge of becoming that which I am not’. He was taken aback when he saw those pictures, and he was like, ‘Okay, well, it’s quite something you’ve managed to achieve’. Many months later, I got a call saying I had got the role. Sandeep later told me that he had auditioned hundreds of actors, but he had never forgotten how I sat across the table from him looking so different from the images on the phone he held."

She added, "From the very beginning, Sandeep was very clear and I was very clear that (her) character is not a pushover. I wanted her to interject, to try and stop this, to push back. Sandeep heard me out and we workshopped it. And in the process, we were really able to create a well-rounded, fully fleshed-out character. I really appreciate this about Sandeep."

Who Is Charu Shankar?

However, after showcasing her versatile acting through various roles, including portraying Indira Gandhi in Rocket Boys and featuring in films like Chatterjee vs. Norway, Delhi Crime, and A Suitable Boy, Charu's portrayal in Animal has gained attention.

Beyond her acting career, Charu Shankar is recognised as a dancer and choreographer, having pursued a Master's degree in English from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, after attending Modern School.