Sandeep Reddy Vanga says only ‘15-20 jokers’ see Animal's Ranvijay, Kabir Singh as misogynistic

Animal director Sandeep Reddy Vanga has said he has no idea why people call the characters of his films like Animal, Arjun Reddy, Kabir Singh as misogynistic.

Animal director Sandeep Reddy Vanga has said he doesn't think any of his popular film characters like Ranvijay Singh, Kabir Singh or Arjun Reddy are misogynistic. “I don't know why these 15-20 jokers do,” he told Galatta Plus in an interview. Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Animal has been called out by many as misogynistic and for its portrayal of extreme violence.

Ranbir Kapoor plays the lead in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal.

On being asked if he sees Ranvijay Singh as a misogynistic character, Sandeep said, “Misogyny is disrespect to women. This is the actual definition, right. So no. Even Kabir Singh, even Animal, even me as a person. I always feel my production house name is Bhadrakali Pictures and I don't know why people think…not too many people, only these 15-20 jokers. But it's a wrong word to use on Kabir Singh, Animal.” He went on to ask the interviewer instead if he also thinks the characters are misogynistic.

Sandeep also said that the way a movie is dissected these days “has gone too high”. “It's too toxic," he said.

Why Ranvijay Singh of Animal was called misogynistic

Hindustan Times gave a not-so flattering review to Animal which has now crossed ₹835 crores gross at the worldwide box office. An excerpt from the review read: “If filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh bothered you, wait till you watch Animal that presents Ranbir as an epitome of misogyny, and he has no qualms about it. Whether it's telling his younger sister to drink wine and not whiskey, or taking a jibe at the elder one, a Harvard graduate, for just saying , 'Chup raho, bas karo (Keep quiet)' in her marriage; he's loved, hated and misunderstood all at once.”

Earlier this month, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan said that "the film's justification of violence and misogyny is shameful." Senior cricketer Jaydev Unadkat had also voiced the same concern after watching the film but deleted his tweet soon after. It read: "What an absolute disaster #AnimalTheFilm was! Glorifying misogyny in today's world and then tagging it as mere "traditional masculinity" and "alpha male" is a disgrace."

On the other hand, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap said in Animal's defense that it actually led people to talk about misogyny. "A film like Animal has galvanised more feminists in this country than any other feminist film. It has created more discussion around misogyny than any other film. So it is doing something good,” he told OTTplay at the Kolkata International Film Festival.

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