One of 2023’s biggest blockbusters, Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal, made waves at the box office but faced backlash from critics and audiences for its portrayal of misogynistic, violent men. In a recent interview with ETimes, actor Kunal Kapoor defended the film, stating that today’s audiences accept a wider variety of hero archetypes than they did in the past.
Kunal on Evolving Hero Archetypes
Kunal Kapoor noted, “Today, the audience accepts all kinds of heroes. You have characters like Shahid Kapoor in Kabir Singh and Ranbir Kapoor in Animal. These characters would not have worked maybe 10-12 years ago because people expected heroes to be a certain way. The more we stretch that mould, the better it is for everybody.”
Changing Storytelling in Cinema
Reflecting on his own career, which includes films like Rang De Basanti (2006), Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana (2012), and Gold (2018), Kunal discussed how the storytelling and syntax in films have evolved. “When I started out, there were certain kinds of movies that would be made, and the hero was expected to be of a certain kind. You had to fit into a mould, which I didn’t. There were certain expectations about the kind of films that you had to do. And I didn’t enjoy those films. Fortunately, what’s happened is that the mould has changed now and different kinds of characters are being written, and different stories are being made. That’s the kind of space I enjoy,” Kunal said.
About Animal and Kabir Singh
Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Animal features Ranbir Kapoor alongside Anil Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, and Triptii Dimri. The film, known for its extreme violence, revolves around a troubled father-son relationship between Anil Kapoor’s Balbir Singh and Ranbir Kapoor’s Ranvijay Singh. Rashmika Mandanna plays the female lead opposite Ranbir, with Bobby Deol portraying the primary antagonist. The film was criticized for glorifying toxic masculinity.
Similarly, Vanga’s previous hit, Kabir Singh, was one of 2019’s biggest grossers but was heavily criticized for its misogynistic themes and the normalization of violence in romantic relationships. Starring Shahid Kapoor, Kabir Singh is the Hindi remake of Vanga’s Telugu film Arjun Reddy.
Despite the controversies, Kunal believes that the expanding definition of a hero allows for more diverse storytelling in contemporary cinema.
