Renowned actress and director Konkona Sensharma has weighed in on the recently released blockbuster film, Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol.
While the movie has garnered both praise and criticism for its portrayal of violence and misogyny, Konkona Sensharma, in a recent interaction with ANI, discussed her perspective on the depiction of violence in films.
Konkona emphasised that she doesn't oppose showcasing violence or intimate scenes on screen as long as there is a substantial reason for their inclusion.
In her view, both elements should serve a meaningful purpose in the storytelling process. She said, "There has to be a reason why it's there in the film because it connects to the characters or it connects to the plot, or whatever it has to justify itself. That is one thing, why is it there? What is the intent of the director?"
Despite not having watched Animal, while praising director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's work, she clarified that Animal doesn't align with her preferences. She stated, "I've not watched 'Animal' because I don't feel it's my kind of film. I haven't been drawn to the film even from the reviews and things."
Acknowledging the director's past projects, Konkona pointed out that while he justified the depiction of violence in relationships, she doesn't endorse it. However, she mentioned that if executed skillfully, she doesn't object to watching it. She added, "But that's not what I've heard. And I don't think I'm the target audience anyway. Millions of people are watching it, so it's doing very well and they don't need me."
Discussing her cinematic preferences, Konkona stated that mainstream cinema isn't her cup of tea. She attributed this to not having grown up watching such films, lacking a sense of nostalgia, attachment, or childhood memories associated with them. Expressing her desire to be a part of films like Mira Nair's creations, she highlighted a sense of belonging in movies such as 'Monsoon Wedding' or 'Namesake,' akin to the comfort she experiences in her mother Aparna Sen's films.
On the professional front, Konkona Sen Sharma directed a well-received short film in Netflix's Lust Stories 2 anthology series. She is also involved in Anurag Basu's project Metro In Dino, sharing the screen with Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, and others.
She collaborated with Ranbir Kapoor in the 2009 film Wake Up Sid.