Karan Johar defends praising Animal, says ‘I saw it as a character film’

Filmmaker Karan Johar reiterated his admiration for Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s film Animal at the Forbes India Leadership Awards 2024, calling it the best film of 2023. Johar specifically lauded the “treatment” of the film.

Addressing the ongoing debate surrounding Animal, Johar acknowledged the differing opinions and controversies surrounding the film’s portrayal of violence, masculinity, and misogyny. While some, including celebrities like Javed Akhtar and Konkona Sen Sharma, criticised the film’s content, Johar focussed on its narrative and storytelling techniques.

Johar explained, “I saw it as a character film based on a character who was deeply dysfunctional, inherently violent, who had many emotional issues – and I loved the treatment.” He praised the film’s sound design, screenplay, dialogue, and character development, highlighting his appreciation for the filmmaker’s storytelling approach.

“I didn’t go deep into the moral communication of the film – I was so swept by the narrative and the way the filmmaker told the story of it through sound design, screenplay, dialogue, character development, that as a filmmaker, I loved it,” he added.

Prior to Johar’s comments, actress Bhumi Pednekar also shared her views on Animal, expressing her preference for genres other than hyper-masculine films. Despite not enjoying such films, Pednekar emphasised the importance of a filmmaker’s self-expression and the audience’s ability to learn from it.

Bhumi told The Lallantop, “I watched Animal. Par mujhe hyper-masculine films maja hi nahi aata. Aur ye abhi se nahi, bohat pehle se hai.. Hollywood ki bhi action films hain na…mujhe na rom-com, agar mera genre pooche, mujhe woh films zyada pasand aati hai ( I don’t like watching hyper-masculine films, and it’s not for now, earlier also I never enjoyed those kind of films. Even in Hollywood, the action films… I like watching rom-coms).”

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She added, “I genuinely believe that a film is a filmmaker’s self-expression, and that is very important. But as an audience, what you learn from that self-expression, that is the challenge.”

Animal has faced criticism for its portrayal of masculinity and violence but has also been commercially successful, earning significant revenue at the box office. The film also received five Filmfare Awards, including Best Actor (Popular) for Ranbir Kapoor, further solidifying its impact on audiences.