Item: Animal
Rating: 4
Author: Krishma Sharma

The most awaited film of the year, the Sandeep Reddy Vanga-directed Animal led by Ranbir Kapoor is here. Throughout the campaign, the makers have promised a cinematic experience like never before in this gangster-based action drama. Does Sandeep Reddy Vanga deliver big with Animal? Let’s find out

Plot of Animal:

After scaling new heights in his family business, Balbir Singh’s (Anil Kapoor) life is in danger from an unknown force. His son, Ranvijay Singh (Ranbir Kapoor), who is happily living in the US with his wife, Geetanjali (Rashmika Mandanna), returns to India to find the mastermind behind Balbir’s life. The rage for revenge is at its peak, as Ranvijay sees this as an opportunity to finally win over the love and get due attention from his father. Who is the mastermind? Why is he behind Balbir’s life? Is Ranvijay able to save his father? All this and much more unfolds in Animal.

What works for Animal?

First things first, Animal is an out-and-out Ranbir Kapoor show. It’s difficult to imagine Ranbir in this larger-than-life avatar, but the actor surpasses all expectations to deliver a performance that will be remembered for decades to come by. He carries the film on his shoulders, as there are sequences where he emotes through his eyes, and then there are blocks where the body language does the talking. His performance as Ranvijay Singh aka. Animal is the biggest plus of this gangster-based action drama.

The first half of Animal flies off in no time as Sandeep Reddy Vanga grips you into the world from the first scene. One is eager to see how the character of Ranbir evolves upon seeing the threat to his father’s life. And Vanga manages to keep interest intact all through the prolonged first half. His storytelling is unconventional with multiple cuts – from a certain scene to the other, from flashback to present, from one plot point to the other – but it all comes together in the first half.

Some of the best moments of the film come in the first half – be it Ranbir’s introduction, his first meeting with Rashmika, the entire dramatic chunk at Anil Kapoor’s 60th birthday, the gun sequence in the college, and the prolonged action-packed interval block. You step out of the hall in the interval preparing yourself for an even bigger explosion in the latter half of the film – as Animal comes across as a rounded film with a story that holds attention and performances that elevate. And thankfully, The film has some solid moments in the second half too, which includes the climax fight sequence and the confrontation of RK and Anil. The placement of Satranga in the second half also comes at a tender moment.

Another strength of Animal is the background score – it hits you differently with the Dolby sound system. The music of Animal works very well in the narrative and the producer, Bhushan Kumar gives the film the right scale and production values.

What doesn’t work for Animal?

While Sandeep sets up the plot for a big conflict till the interval, the second half is relatively slow. The makers could have trimmed a lot of the plot points in the second half and skipped faster to the climax. The entire change in the dynamic of Ranbir and Rashmika seems out of place and Vanga stretches it too far with his writing of women in the film, which might make most of the female audiences (even male) uncomfortable.

Bobby Deol is underutilized and his track is not cooked up well. The limited screen presence also dilutes the emotional sub-track between RK and Bobby. The entire build-up of Animal is about finding the killer, but the audience already knows who it is due to the presence of Bobby in the trailer. The impact might have been different had the makers cast some lesser-known actor for the part, and not shown the same in the trailer.

The inter-character dynamics, which flow seamlessly in the first half, start to appear forced in the second. The editing could have been a lot better, and this 3-hour 21-minute saga could have easily been cut down to a hard-hitting 2-hour 50-minute drama.

Performances in Animal

Animal is an out-and-out Ranbir Kapoor show as despite the disjoined second half, it’s Ranbir Kapoor who keeps your attention intact through his performance. From the first frame till the last, he gets the chance to display a series of emotions through the metamorphosis of character. This is easily his greatest performance to date and can be a showreel of character study for the next generation of actors. He brings in the aura and demeanour that’s needed for a larger-than-life character like this – be it in his walk, swag, or the action sequences – Ranbir Kapoor is a giant force to reckon with. Watch out for the prolonged role-play sequence with Anil towards the end – it’s probably the greatest dramatic performance-driven sequence we have seen in a long long time.

Anil Kapoor as Balbir Singh is excellent and does well in playing the ignorant father to evoke extreme reactions from his son. He maintains a calm through his actions in the film, and underplaying the part is something that only a seasoned actor like Anil Kapoor could do. Rashmika Madanna is fine on her part and peaks with her performance in the emotional outburst in the second half. Bobby Deol has a cameo and one wished for more of him. With this screen time, the makers should have given hopes of an epic battle royale between RK and Bobby. He is however good in the limited that he gets to do. Shakti Kapoor and Prem Chopra have limited roles and do well in their parts. Tritpi Dimri does well in her extended cameo. The rest of the supporting cast do well in their respective role.

Verdict of Animal

Overall, Animal makes for a solid watch, that rides on a fast-paced first half and a decent second with Ranbir Kapoor delivering the performance of his lifetime. Animal certainly has enough moments to sail through with a big number at the box office on support of Youth & Masses, though families and women might stay away from it after the initial euphoria. Watch it for Ranbir Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, and Ranbir Kapoor, alongside the high octane fast-paced first half.