Following his critically acclaimed directorial debut Arjun Reddy and its 2019 Hindi-language remake Kabir Singh, writer/director Sandeep Reddy Vanga returns with his most violent effort yet, Animal, an unrelenting action thriller that tells the tale of Ranvijay “Vijay” Singh (Ranbir Kapoor), whose devotion to his father Balbir Singh (Anil Kapoor) knows no bounds and sets in motion a vengeance-fueled gang war with dire consequences.
**This review may contain mild spoilers from ANIMAL**
Karan Johar’s 2001 classic Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham opened with arguably one of the most iconic taglines in Indian cinema, “It’s all about loving your parents,” and, well, at its core, Animal carries a similar theme, albeit in a far more obsessive, twisted and unhealthy manner.
The film introduces Vijay as a slightly troubled youngster who deeply cherishes his family, especially his business-minded father who is more focused on building his company than raising his children. Despite that, Vijay is frequently going above and beyond to express his unfaltering love and support to his parents and two sisters. However, as he gets older, his means of protecting his loved ones becomes exceedingly violent, with a major incident eventually resulting in his father exiling him to the United States, where he and his new wife Geetanjali (Rashmika Mandanna) live peacefully away from everyone for eight years.
An assassination attempt on his father’s life by a rival brings Vijay and Geeta (and their own children) back home and back into the fold, where a more seasoned Vijay reconciles with his father and begins to map out a revenge plot that simultaneously reunites his extended family and pushes them toward a common goal, while also unraveling a conspiracy that the story seemingly wants you to believe is more complicated than it actually is. Through his bloody vendetta, Vijay descends further into a rage-fueled existence that gradually disillusions and distances the ones he’s sworn to protect.
Considering his previous films, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga has an established history with self-destructive lead characters, but Vijay is a morally bankrupt creation with very few, if any, redeeming qualities, especially by the time the credits roll. He’s a character fueled entirely by base animalistic desire, who, at every turn, acts on basically the most barbaric option available, even if he’s shown to be a slightly more calculating gangster than his opposition. He’s the protagonist of this story, but also its villain.
The film does its best to paint Vijay as a hero or anti-hero of sorts, someone who’s just looking out for his family and whose extremism is a direct result of being neglected by his father at a young age. However, we never really see this happen. Yes, the opening scene establishes his devotion to his father, as a young Vijay tries to celebrate Balbir’s birthday, only for Balbir to no-show his kid, but then, their actual first scene together happens after the movie flashes forward several years and we learn that Vijay had been away studying abroad for nearly a decade due to a separate incident we learn about later.
This is another issue as we’re presented with several different events that may have been better served had they played out more linearly since we’re often shown the end result and then given a flashback that explains an incident we already knew the outcome of, taking away much of the dramatic tension. This happens again at another critical juncture when Vijay kills a rival and then we’re taken several months back to learn why he killed this specific person. It’s like if Todd Phillips’ Joker had shown us at the beginning that Arthur Fleck ends up in Arkham and then the movie was about showing us how he gets there. The stakes are lessened just because you know the main character survives.
There’s ample time for violence and bloodshed, but when it comes to character development, Vanga opts to let supporting characters, often female, fill in the blanks with their exposition-heavy monologues that justify Vijay’s bad behavior and explain all of the good deeds he does for his loved ones. But, again, most of these supposed good acts aren’t shown in the movie, they are mostly implied.
For instance, the film contains a relatively undercooked romantic subplot that begins on somewhat shaky ground as Vijay gatecrashes his childhood crush’s wedding, manages to steal her away with some uncomfortable flirting, to put it delicately, and then gets exiled to the United States, only to return several years later. We’re then told he’s become a good father and husband, but from the moment he returns home, it’s hard to see any notable change since he’s the same hot-head he’s always been, essentially repeating his father’s sins while becoming an increasingly worse partner to his wife as he commits one unforgivable act after another.
But, maybe that’s the point of Animal? Is Vijay truly seeking his father’s love? Or, is this rage-fueled rampage somehow therapeutic to him? He takes charge of finding his father’s would-be assassins, but also seems to revel in the fact that his father, in his weakened state, is now somewhat dependent on him. The son and father have swapped roles, which allows Vijay to finally protect his father in a way that Balbir never did for him. He will stop at nothing to get his revenge, but as he gets closer to the finish line, it sure feels like he either doesn’t know how to stop, or what to do after he stops. What is his purpose once he and his father have their inevitable reconciliation? What comes next?
Despite the criticisms levied above, it’s hard to argue that this character isn’t compelling, to say the least. However, whether that’s a testament to Vanga’s direction or Ranbir Kapoor’s performance is up for debate, although we’d put our money on the latter. Vanga does deliver on the action and melodrama, but makes a few questionable choices that keep Animal from truly soaring to its rebellious potential. There is shock value aplenty, especially with the show-stopping pre-interval bloodbath, but the film also leaves much to be desired, although Vanga does succeed in eliciting exceptional performances from his cast, especially from his leading man.
Ranbir Kapoor, fresh off family-friendly releases Brahmastra Part One: Shiva and Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, is an absolute powerhouse in Animal, and delivers arguably one of the best performances of his career. Being able to watch his transformation into Vijay is more than worthwhile, and will keep you mostly engaged since Kapoor stays true to the character, even as Vijay becomes increasingly more vile and unsympathetic. He takes a few chances and manages to leave a small window open that allows you to think that maybe Vijay isn’t beyond redemption, although it's hard to see what that path is.
Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol leave their marks in supporting roles, but neither veteran actor gets much material to work with, save for the former getting a few emotional scenes. Deol is a highlight as the film’s final boss, but he doesn’t show up till late and doesn’t stay for long. Rashmika Mandanna has a larger role as the female lead, and proves herself as a more than capable co-star, with strong chemistry opposite Ranbir. However, her character is somewhat underwritten and too frequently glossed over, particularly in the second half, which makes her overall arc feel incomplete, although there’s likely good reason for that…
Stay tuned through the credits for an extra scene that - spoiler alert - sets up a neverending cycle of violence and a follow-up that promises to be even more brutal than the first.
Animal is a complicated film with a top-tier Ranbir Kapoor, who delivers a powerhouse performance that is worth the price of admission alone. What the film lacks in substance, director Sandeep Reddy Vanga makes up for with sheer audacity and bloodshed. Already one of the year’s biggest hits, this is one title that should stir up plenty of debate in the coming years as audiences await an even wilder sequel.