The debate surrounding the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Animal (2023) continues to rage on, with divergent opinions aplenty. On one side, educator, YouTube personality and civil services coach Vikas Divyakirti, who had a special role in the film 12th Fail, criticized Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s movie, labelling it “vulgar”, stating, “A film like this should not be made. It takes our society back by 10 years.”

In an interview with radio personality Neelesh Misra, Divyakirti particularly singled out a scene in which Kapoor’s character demands Triptii Dimri’s character lick his shoes to prove her loyalty, raising concerns about its potential influence on impressionable minds with a feudal mindset. “Itni fuhad aur badtameez film hum bana rahein hai then it is very sad,” he added.

Meanwhile, actor Vidya Balan offered a contrasting viewpoint. Speaking to Pinkvilla, she remarked, “Conviction is the name of the game here. We are told content is king. But you can have great content told unconvincingly. Animal is a great example of that; they were not apologetic and second-guessing; they told the story unabashedly. And look at the way the film worked.”