Ranbir Kapoor’s exemplary act redeems a basic but entertaining story in the bloodfest Animal

Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Shakti Kapoor, Tripti Dimri, Bobby Deol, among others 

The sound of metal cutting through flesh takes on a near-rhythmic repetitive echo as one watches Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal. Buoyed by an outstanding Ranbir Kapoor and storytelling influences from classic cinema, this drama builds up to the spectacle of never-ending bloodshed to make up for an undercooked plot. 

Perhaps in its aim to offer an unmissable cinematic signature like that of Quentin Tarantino, Vanga’s film comes across as gory and overwhelming, but it's not immersive. 

Vijay (Ranbir Kapoor), or Rannvijay as he declares himself after a particularly gruesome mass murder, is an intelligent, smart, young boy perennially seeking his father’s attention. His father, Balbir Singh (Anil Kapoor), is a steel industry icon, as his son states, and the owner of the biggest company in India. 

He has a tenuous relationship with his sisters (both sisters are constantly worried about his reactions to their men), but he is protective and loving. His mother Jyoti (Charu Shankar) does her best to make her husband spend time with their son. But Balbir is too busy and big for family, so much so that, on his grand birthday bash, no family members or relatives are around for they have lost touch with their kin. 

Vijay returns from the US, apparently educated in space engineering or something similar (a fleeting derisive reference) to sweep his childhood love, Geetanjali (Rashmika Mandanna), off her feet first and argue with his brother-in-law later. 

Meanwhile, the rift between his father and him widens. 

Vijay marries Geetanjali in a passionate, physically charged trip on his personal aircraft, on their family airstrip. Eight years later, he returns from the US with his children and his wife to help his father, who has been shot. 

Supported by the steel plant’s manager (Shakti Kapoor), with whom he shares a near paternal relationship, Vijay declares his desire to exact revenge, on a nationally televised event no less. 

The search for the men who shot his father leads to a reunion with his village cousins, unlimited gun battles, grenade attacks, axe wars … (you get the picture). The antagonist turns out to be Abrar Haque (Bobby Deol), an estranged cousin, leading to a bloody conclusion seeped in quasi-Punjabi hyper masculine symbolism. Needless to say, it doesn’t end well between father and son as their rift never quite repairs till the end. 

Co-writers Suresh Bandaru, Pranav Banga, and Saurav Gupta have built a plot on the general premises that work well for a film–a classic father-son feud, a bloody battle between brothers, and a promising hero turning into an emotional trainwreck of sorts. The influences of the Mahabharata, The Godfather, and similar epic-scale stories are hard to miss. But the execution never comes together convincingly. 

Why did the brothers get estranged so dramatically? Why did Balbir never find a soft spot in his heart for his son? These fundamental questions are not addressed. Perhaps it’s done deliberately … 

The signature Sandeep Reddy Vanga toxic alpha male elements in the hero, softened in the corners, are core to this story. 

Vijay is so protective of his sisters that he could kill for them, and, as is the fate of the Hindi film hero, he is right (even when he is contemplating violence).

His love for Geetanjali is all encompassing and leaves little room for her doubts or differences of opinion. Their love is sexual after marriage, and if there isn’t sex, she isn’t happy. Typical of the simplified female brain that stands out in this director’s films. Vijay’s love for Geentanjali is overwhelming too, verging on suffocating even. 

A second dalliance, also sexually charged, shows his softer side for the opposite gender. He is a definite Vanga hero—he will protect a woman but love her or care for her on his terms, her opinion notwithstanding. Vijay was always incorrigible in his choices, despite some making sense at a basic level. 

The other flaw in this film is the complete absence of law and order in India or in the United Kingdom. When gang wars let loose guns and gore fests, it is as if they are taking place in an alternate republic, where the police have not evolved as a concept. No one stops any violence. 

This complete lack of rationality is also evident in Abrar’s marital choices or treatment of women. He treats them like objects, and they adjust to his whims like inanimate beings. The idea could be that this is a statement of contrast–between Abrar’s lust and insensitivity and Vijay’s deep love for his wife. But neither man feels like a good choice for any woman. 

These faults would have pulled down and sunk most films. But Animal, as polarising and deafening as it is, stands out as a solid entertainer because of Ranbir Kapoor. His ability to pull off irreverence, morally dubious responses, and a general sense of derision is unmatched. 

Some scenes are reminiscent of his performance in Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju. He elevates the character of Vijay to a memorable cinematic hero-meets-anti hero, one that will be spoken about for some time. His expressions are nuanced, and his physical form is malleable to the moment of the film, varying from super fit to overweight. 

He is irresistible as a lover and indulgent as a father. And his fight sequences have a nihilistic, unhinged edge. 

Rashmika Mandana, a solid actor, has one redeeming and author-backed scene in the entire film, which comes across as limiting for her ability. 

Anil Kapoor is in fine form as the balanced voice and the unyielding father.

The transformation of Vijay’s character to a vengeful son rides on a stereotyped hyper Punjabi identity narrative, using tools from it too. 

There’s also an incongruous mention of Atmanirbhar Bharat. In the space of suspended reality, this works because Ranbir's performance is all one is thinking about. 

It’s about time that someone took a peek into Vanga’s head, for he is yet to leave school and college–a trope often visited in his films. 

Animal features a wholesome soundtrack and an apt background score. While Arjan Vailly (by Gurjaan) has thump and provides background to a blood fest, the ballad Hua Main Animal (by Raghav Chaitanya and Pritam) is melodious and filmed innovatively.  

For those who like a grand cinematic experience with a sensory overload, this film is worth watching. It is also worth catching to see Ranbir Kapoor grow as an actor and a versatile superstar. 

Rating: 3/5