Karan Johar defends loving ‘Animal’

Everyone who loved Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s ‘Animal’ has to at some point explain why and filmmaker Karan Johar is no exception. Last year, Karan dubbed the controversial Ranbir Kapoor starrer as the best movie of 2023 and has now again detailed what worked for him in the action thriller.

At the Forbes India Leadership Awards 2024, Karan Johar spoke about ‘Animal’ again, months after shocking fans by admitting that the film had ‘aroused and engaged’ him like no other.

“There’s been a lot of debate on ‘Animal’. People have expressed opinions, stood for it or against it and the filmmaker himself has been very vocal about his feelings. Personally, truly honestly, I saw it as a character film based on a character who was deeply dysfunctional, inherently violent and who had many emotional issues and I loved the treatment.”

Johar said he didn’t go ‘deep’ into the ‘moral communication’ of the film, as he was taken in by what Vanga had pulled off with regard to his storytelling and technical flair. If he has loved a film, Johar said, he has to be open about it, even if it runs the risk of being criticised.

“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 through sound design, screenplay, dialogue and character development that, as a filmmaker, I loved it. Some people have called me, expressed their opinions and agreed or disagreed with me. I have to be honest about my emotions attached to a film I’ve seen and if it comes with criticism or flak, then I have to accept it with open arms. If it comes with an embrace, I have to accept that as well,” he added.