Animal team responds to Javed Akhtar's commentary on film's controversial scene

The team behind the film "Animal," in response to Javed Akhtar's recent comments regarding a controversial scene, talked about the importance of letting love transcend gender politics.

A few days after Javed Akhtar, known for his legendary contributions to films like "Zanjeer" and "Mr. India," expressed concerns about problematic scenes in commercially successful movies without explicitly naming "Animal," the film's team rebutted his commentary.

While not directly addressing Akhtar, the "Animal" team responded on X, challenging the interpretation of a writer of Akhtar's calibre, stating, "Writer of your calibre cannot understand the betrayal of a lover (Between Zoya & Ranvijay) then all your art form is big FALSE... Let love be free from the politics of gender... (sic)."

The film, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, faced significant criticism for its graphic content, intense violence, and portrayal of female characters, even as it emerged as one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2023, earning Rs 900 crore globally.

In their social media post, the "Animal" team suggested a gender-biased perspective, implying that had a woman prompted a man to lick her shoe, it would have been lauded as an act of feminism. They emphasised the characters as "lovers" who deceive and betray each other, devoid of gender politics.

Akhtar, speaking at the Ajanta Ellora International Film Festival, expressed his apprehensions about contemporary cinema, particularly focusing on scenes that portray men commanding women to perform demeaning acts or justify violence against them. He noted the societal repercussions when such films achieve monumental success, urging filmmakers to be conscious of the characters they create, asserting that audiences determine the acceptance or rejection of such content.