Filmmaker Karan Johar has heaped praise on Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s latest film Animal, dubbing it the best film of the year and a ‘game-changer.’ Speaking at a roundtable interview, the director expressed his admiration for the movie despite the contrasting style of his own film Rocky Aur Rani. He emphasized the film’s bold narrative and departure from mainstream cinema conventions.
“People have come up to me after I spoke about how much I loved Animal and said, ‘You have made 'Rocky Aur Rani,’ That's the vaccination for a film like Animal. It’s the opposite extreme. I cannot disagree with you more because Animal to me is the best film of the year,” he asserted, acknowledging the courage it took to make such a statement.
Karan lauded Animal for its conviction-based storytelling, breaking away from conventional norms. He highlighted scenes like the hero getting bashed up during the interval block while everyone sings a song, describing it as genius.
“I loved Animal for its front-footed, absolutely conviction-based narrative storytelling, breaking grammar, breaking myths, breaking everything that you think conforms to mainstream cinema. Suddenly you have an interval block where the hero is getting bashed up and everyone's singing a song... I am like, 'Where have you seen a sequence like this?' It's genius. The end, where the two men are going for each other and they play that song... I had tears in my eyes, but there was only blood. So, I was like something is wrong with me or something is wrong with him, but something put together is very right about this film. This is not an average-thinking mind. This is the mind of someone who is so distinct, so individualistic that I was blown away. I saw the film twice, first to see it as an audience member and second to study it. I think the success, and acceptance of Animal is game-changing. The conviction is something that I want to have.”
The film, starring Ranbir Kapoor in the lead role as Rannvijay Singh, revolves around a troubled father-son relationship and explores themes of revenge. Karan specifically praised sequences in the film, such as the intense confrontation between the two main characters and the impactful climax that left a lasting impression on him. Animal has grossed over INR 500 crore at the domestic box office, solidifying its impact and success in the film industry.