'Didn't want to do a Good Boy role' says Ranbir Kapoor on criticism of Animal movie

Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, released in December last year, became a massive blockbuster at the box office despite opening to mixed reviews. Actor Ranbir Kapoor has now spoken about the criticism, highlighting the impact of social media.

Appearing on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast People by WTF, Ranbir shared that many in the Indian film industry expressed their disappointment to him. He said, “Social media played havoc. They needed something to talk about, so they really went to town claiming it was a misogynistic film. The hard work that you put in gets diminished.”

Ranbir explained that the intention behind Animal was misunderstood. “I know the director had made Kabir Singh, which also faced the same thing. The general public will speak very fondly about the film, but many people I meet tell me, ‘You shouldn’t have done this film, we are so disappointed in you’.”

He admitted that he took on Animal to break free from his “good boy” image on screen. “I had always been following a career path where I was doing good roles, trying to give good social messages, play the ‘good boy’. I was scared the audience would not accept me. Even though the film did amazing numbers, there is a big audience which found the film misogynist and wrong.”

Ranbir also revealed that he would do the film all over again, as it came at a time when he felt his career needed a change. Animal remains a topic of discussion, with fans and industry insiders divided over its portrayal of masculinity and violence.