'Animal', expectedly, has become one of the most polarizing Indian films of all time. With a barrage of social media posts, opinion articles in the media and more, the film has been widely discussed. But, in questioning the film's alleged moral sickness, are critics resorting to intellectual vigilantism and moral policing? Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's fans are of the opinion that "moral policing" of 'Animal' is absolutely wrong, considering that it is an A-rated movie that only adults are supposed to watch.
But the critics of 'Animal' believe that a filmmaker is supposed to be responsible while making a film, which is an art form. "Did you see the number of men cheering in theatres every time Ranbir Kapoor's character disrespects his onscreen wife, played by Rashmika Mandanna? Or, cheering for that pad comment (where Ranbir mocks his wife's fuss over her monthly periods)? It alarms me after going through the comments I saw under a post about the scene where the hero asks his mistress to lick his shoes and men desire their future wives to do the same," a Netizen wrote.
Art doesn't exist in a vacuum. "Art is created with the idea of invoking a range of emotions and thoughts in the audience. The onus (to make a responsible film) heavily lies on the filmmaker. Art has been the tool for resistance against oppression since ages. Any form of art is always political," opines another Netizen.
