Javed Akhtar suggests success of ‘Animal’ is dangerous | The Express Tribune

Veteran lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar recently voiced his apprehensions regarding the trend of commercial success in films featuring problematic scenes. As per NDTV, Akhtar, 78, addressed these concerns at the Ajanta Ellora International Film Festival in Aurangabad, hinting at the highly successful film Animal without explicitly naming it.

During the event earlier this week, Akhtar expressed his disquiet about the current direction of cinema, emphasising the responsibility of filmmakers in shaping characters that align with societal values. Without direct mention, he highlighted instances where films portrayed controversial scenes that garnered massive box office success, labelling such triumphs as “dangerous.”

“I believe it’s a testing time for the young filmmakers today as to what kind of characters they want to create that the society will applaud. For instance, 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 if the film is a super duper hit, then that’s very dangerous,” Akhtar said.

He drew attention to specific scenes, seemingly alluding to Animal, where a male character asks a woman to perform an act that has raised ethical and moral concerns. Akhtar’s pointed reference could be attributed to a pivotal scene in Animal where the lead character Ranvijay (Ranbir Kapoor) demands his mistress Zoya (Triptii Dimri) to demonstrate her love by licking his shoes.

Although Animal has achieved immense financial success, grossing nearly INR9 billion globally, it faced criticism for its perceived misogyny and excessive violence, dividing opinions among viewers and critics alike. Akhtar underscored the crucial role audiences play in shaping the narrative of cinema today. He emphasised that viewers hold the power to determine which films deserve acceptance and which should be rejected based on their portrayal of values and morality.

“Nowadays, I feel that a bigger responsibility is on the audiences than filmmakers,” Akhtar shared. “The audiences have to decide what kind of movies should be made, and what kind of films should not be made. Also, what kind of values and moralities should be shown in our films, what should we reject, that decision is in your hands. The ball is currently in the audience’s court,” he remarked. 

Furthermore, Akhtar touched upon the challenge writers encounter in shaping the representation of a hero in contemporary cinema. He attributed this dilemma to the confusion prevalent in society regarding discerning right from wrong, noting that societal clarity often leads to the creation of compelling and morally sound characters in storytelling.

“Today, the writers face a big challenge about what kind of a hero should be presented on screen. This confusion is there because there’s a confusion in society itself. When society is clear about what is right and wrong, then you get great characters in a story. But when society is unable to understand what is right and what is wrong, then you can’t create great characters,” he added.

In response to this, the official X handle of Animal wrote, “Writer of your calibre cannot understand the betrayal of a lover (Between Zoya and Ranvijay) then all your art form is big false and 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 feminism. Let love be free from the politics of gender. Let’s just call them lovers. Lover cheated and lied. Lover said lick my shoe. Period.”

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