Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal has surged past the Rs 500 crore mark at the global box office. The movie features Ranbir Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna, and Anil Kapoor, setting records, and is poised to become one of the top two highest-grossing films, potentially surpassing Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan.
During the tremendous success of Animal at the box office, there's been an unprecedented level of criticism aimed at the film for its portrayal of misogyny, sexism, and the glorification of toxic masculinity.
Film Critic Claps Back at Animal Film's Official Account Amid Box Office Triumph
Film critic Anupama Chopra's post following the film's release hinted at missing the character Kabir Singh, suggesting that the portrayal by Shahid Kapoor was more favourable than the character in Animal. In her tweet, she expressed, "I miss Kabir. #Animal." What's noteworthy is that the official handle of Animal responded to the film critic by sharing the Netflix link to watch "You can watch your favourite #KabirSingh again here…”
You can watch your favourite #KabirSingh again here…🤗 https://t.co/2YSxuf0igM https://t.co/dmTtcrvbOa
— Animal The Film (@AnimalTheFilm) December 5, 2023
The account's administrator has openly expressed their views on the criticism the film has received. Besides targeting Anupama Chopra, the account recently aimed at film critic Sucharita Tyagi. Yet the film reviewer responded fittingly to the criticism.
Responding to Tyagi’s review, the Animal's X account highlighted the film's worldwide box office collection of ₹817.36 crore, boasting about its invincible status. However, she had a sharp comeback.
Here's her reply
https://t.co/aKlBU4h5SY pic.twitter.com/SICwwJvTj7
— Sucharita (@Su4ita) December 17, 2023
Many speculate that Vanga himself might be behind the Animal Twitter account. Criticism was directed at what was described as 'man-child behaviour' displayed in the exchanges.
Real id tho raa @imvangasandeep
— 𝕏 UDAY 𝕏 (@uday_exe) December 5, 2023
Using a movie's official account to harass and send vitriolic fans after a critic is childish and scummy (a critic this director has targeted by name in interviews before). Petty, thin-skinned, bordering on dangerous. https://t.co/3KJntAkGBB
— Siddhant Adlakha (@SiddhantAdlakha) December 18, 2023
Siccing your fanbase onto a film critic's handle *is* targeted harassment. And if you don't realise how online abuse becomes IRL violence ( especially when women are at the receiving end) I don't know what to say to you. I pray that nobody you know faces this! https://t.co/WmzEgwN6yr
— Aditya Mani Jha (@aditya_mani_jha) December 18, 2023
That Animal twitter account quote tweet of @Su4ita should infuriate any self respecting critic. If anything, it exposes the dishonesty and immaturity of the makers and their approach to art. Not to mention the nefarious attitude towards a whole section of the audience.
— Aditya Shrikrishna (@gradwolf) December 18, 2023
Who Is Sucharita Tyagi?
Sucharita Tyagi is an Indian film critic and former radio host. She began her professional journey by anchoring radio shows in New Delhi. Her prominence grew as she transitioned into creating online content and producing YouTube videos for platforms focused on film reviews.
In her critique of the film featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, and Triptii Dimri, Tyagi labelled it as "desperately dull. Terrible." Post the review, she humorously mentioned that she'd been muting Twitter notifications for five years, having previously faced trolling for critiquing Vanga’s earlier film Kabir Singh.
Critics of the film have lambasted its portrayal of toxic masculinity, emphasising its glorification of aggression, violence, and male dominance. The narrative's central focus on seeking validation through acts of revenge has drawn strong criticism for portraying harmful stereotypes and reinforcing regressive notions of masculinity.