Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal was released over the weekend and as a woman, to say that I feel let-down, would be an understatement. From making our blood boil with its sexist dialogues to feeling the frustration in our veins with its inane plotline, this crime-drama is nothing but flawed.
I went to watch the movie and wrote a three-liner review about it on my intimate social media account. In return, a fleet of men, with their fragile egos and sentiments, blasted my messages with their unwarranted thoughts.
It’s 2023 and we live in a secular nation where both, men and women, have a right to write what’s right and wrong in their own mindset. However, I don’t understand what’s wrong with certain men and their obsession with being ‘right’ all the time.
With several movies being released each weekend, we build our own thoughts and perceptions about them, and it’s a possibility that one might like a movie and one might not – what’s the big deal?
I never asked anyone to refrain from watching this movie. I just gave my honest view that this movie is misogynistic and has violence – which are facts. This hurt several egos and these men even asked me not to watch cinema if I felt so bad. Now, how do I explain to them that I’m from the media field and writing about entertainment is my bread and butter?
When I would put my point to them, they were like ‘oh god, so much anger and frustration, it’s not good – have some cold water and meditate.’ I mean? After all these discussions, they would act like they aren’t imposing anything on me and I should grow up. To conclude, one man even wrote, ‘your frustration would only harm you, not me – stop using everything like your punching bag.’ It was one of the its-not-me-its-you situations.
I don’t understand why a woman can’t have her own thoughts about a movie she didn’t like? How does Animal become a ‘work of fiction’ and movies like Thappad and Darlings, on the other hand, are labeled ‘triggering’ by the same men?
Animal’s Ranvijay Singh (Ranbir Kapoor) was overtly violent and did everything he could – including murders and infidelity – to ‘protect’ his father. It’s not an opinion, it’s a fact and I will keep repeating it an unlimited number of times – if I need to.
Now, I would also like to highlight that I’m just talking about a few men, in this article. I also know some men who are calling out this movie and the protagonist for its disturbing instances. We really need more men like that around us to feel like it’s a safe world to breathe in.
Dear men, it’s 2023 and a woman can dislike a movie and its characters and no, justifying them won’t satisfy your chauvinist attitude. You keep your opinions to yourself and let me have mine. Please, grow up!
