The “Animal” team’s recent social media post left several people scratching their heads. In case you’re wondering what the post was about, it was a savage retaliation by the team to Veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar’s indirect criticism of the blockbuster film.
In a bold move, the “Animal” team responded to Akhtar’s swipe at the film during the Ajanta Ellora International Film Festival in Aurangabad. He said, “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.” In response, the makers of Animal vehemently defended their film’s portrayal of love and relationships on the micro-blogging platform, X. “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,” they articulated in retaliation.
Writer of your calibre cannot understand the betrayal of a lover (Between Zoya & Ranvijay) then all your art form is big FALSE 🙃 & If a woman (betrayed and fooled by a man in the name of love) would have said “lick my shoe” then you guys would have celebrated it by calling it…
— Animal The Film (@AnimalTheFilm) January 7, 2024
The team further suggested that if the roles were reversed in their film, the response would have been viewed through a completely different lens—a daring assertion that propelled this discourse into the public eye. It further fueled the flames by emphasizing a hypothetical scenario where a woman, betrayed in the name of love, might have demanded a similar action. They pointedly noted how such a request might have been hailed as a feminist statement if the roles were reversed—a striking commentary on societal perceptions and expectations.
“Animal,” upon its release, became a catalyst for controversy, sharply dividing opinions due to its graphic content, intense violence, and contentious treatment of female characters. Despite this polarizing reception, the film stands tall among the highest-earning Hindi films of 2023, raking in an impressive ₹900 crore globally at the box office.
This financial success, along with its divisive reception, only added fuel to the ongoing debate about the responsibilities of filmmakers and the interpretation of artistic expression in a society with diverse perspectives.
The fallout from the “Animal” team’s response to Akhtar’s critique has transcended the boundaries of movie criticism, sparking discussions about the portrayal of love, the complexities of gender dynamics, and the fine line between artistic freedom and societal responsibility.
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