Writers need to think; success of films like Animal ‘dangerous’: Javed Akhtar

Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Ranbir Kapoor-starrer ‘Animal’ has courted controversy ever since its release for its glorification of toxic masculinity, misogyny and violence. While the film has faced sharp criticisms, it has performed exceptionally well at the box office, earning Rs 900 crore worldwide.

Renowned screenwriter, lyricist, and poet Javed Akhtar has now joined the critics, expressing concern about the 'dangerous' trend being set off by movies like 'Animal'.

Speaking at the 9th Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Akhtar emphasized the importance of crafting a hero's image with a conscientious understanding of what is morally right.

He remarked that cinema reflects society's values, citing a shift from the earlier portrayal of the poor as good and the rich as bad to the current obsession with wealth.

“The image of a hero should be created with an awareness of what is right and how it should be. Today’s writers need to think, because confusion has increased among them. The reason for this is that society is in confusion. Society does not decide what is right and what is wrong, but it is reflected in cinema. There was a time when the poor were good and the rich were bad. But today, we only have one thought in our head, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati?’ So we can’t make the rich look bad now since we ourselves want to be rich,” he observed, as reported by Loksatta.

If there’s a film in which a man asks a woman to lick his shoe or if a man says it’s okay to slap a woman… and the film is a super hit, that’s dangerous,” he said, referring to the scene between Ranbir and Triptii Dimri’s characters in Animal.

“Nowadays, I feel that more responsibility is on the audiences than filmmakers. The audiences have to decide what movies they like and what they don’t like. It is entirely up to the audiences to decide what to reject. The ball is currently in the audiences’ court. Even today, there are as many filmmakers making good movies, but only a few. The fate of cinema depends on how long you stand with them,” Akhtar added.

Akhtar along with Salim Khan, played a pivotal role in creating some of Indian cinema's biggest blockbusters. Many of their films showcased stern male protagonists and together, they’re credited with creating the “Angry Young Man” archetype in Bollywood.

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