Animal is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language action drama film directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who co-wrote the screenplay with Pranay Reddy Vanga and Saurabh Gupta. The film was produced by T-Series Films, Bhadrakali Pictures and Cine1 Studios. It stars Ranbir Kapoor in the lead role, alongside Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna, Triptii Dimri and Shakti Kapoor. The film tells the story of a troubled son whose obsessive devotion to his industrialist father leads him into a violent confrontation with a long-estranged branch of the family.
Released theatrically on 1 December 2023, Animal opened to a sharp divide between strong commercial performance and polarised critical reception, with debate centring on its depiction of violence, masculinity and gender dynamics. It became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of the year.
| Title | Animal |
|---|---|
| Director | Sandeep Reddy Vanga |
| Writers | Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Pranay Reddy Vanga, Saurabh Gupta |
| Producers | Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Murad Khetani, Pranay Reddy Vanga, Sandeep Reddy Vanga |
| Production companies | T-Series Films, Bhadrakali Pictures, Cine1 Studios |
| Lead cast | Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna, Triptii Dimri |
| Cinematography | Amit Roy |
| Editing | Sandeep Reddy Vanga |
| Language | Hindi (with dubbed releases in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam) |
| Theatrical release | 1 December 2023 |
| Country | India |
The narrative follows Ranvijay Singh, the estranged son of a wealthy industrialist, Balbir Singh. After an attempt is made on his father's life, Ranvijay returns home and embarks on a violent campaign against those he believes responsible. The film explores father–son attachment, inherited masculinity, family loyalty and revenge. Its lengthy, graphic action sequences and morally ambiguous protagonist became central talking points in public discussion of the film.
The project was announced in 2021 by T-Series, following the commercial success of director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's earlier Hindi film Kabir Singh (2019). Principal photography took place across multiple locations in India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Manali and Mussoorie, with international schedules conducted in Scotland. Bobby Deol's casting in a key antagonist role drew particular attention. The film's runtime of over three hours made it one of the longest mainstream Hindi releases of recent years.
The soundtrack features compositions by multiple artists, with Pritam, Vishal Mishra, Manan Bhardwaj, Shreyas Puranik, Harshavardhan Rameshwar, Jaani, Ashim Kemson, Bhupinder Babbal and Gurinder Seagal contributing songs and the background score. The track Arjan Vailly, performed by Bhupinder Babbal, and the romantic ballad Satranga, sung by Arijit Singh, were among the most widely circulated songs from the album, which was released through T-Series.
Animal was released in cinemas on 1 December 2023 in Hindi, with simultaneous dubbed releases in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. It was certified "A" (adults only) by the Central Board of Film Certification on account of strong violence and sexual content. The film began streaming on Netflix following its theatrical run.
Commercially, the film registered one of the largest opening weekends for an Indian film in 2023 and went on to gross several hundred crore rupees worldwide, ranking among the top-grossing Hindi films of the year. Critical reaction was sharply divided: several reviewers praised the lead performances, technical craft and Ranbir Kapoor's intensity, while others criticised the film's length, depiction of violence, and its portrayal of women and masculinity. A public debate involving filmmakers, critics and commentators followed the release, with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga publicly defending the film's content.
The film received nominations at major Indian film award ceremonies, with particular recognition for Ranbir Kapoor's performance, Bobby Deol's supporting role and the music. Kapoor won several Best Actor awards on the 2024 awards circuit for his work in the film.
Animal consolidated Sandeep Reddy Vanga's reputation as a commercially successful but stylistically divisive filmmaker in Hindi cinema, following Kabir Singh. It marked one of the highest-grossing performances of Ranbir Kapoor's career and revived industry attention on Bobby Deol as a character actor. The film also became a reference point in ongoing public discussions in India about violence, gender representation and the responsibilities of mainstream popular cinema.
At the conclusion of the film, a sequel titled Animal Park was announced, with Sandeep Reddy Vanga indicated as returning director and Ranbir Kapoor reprising his role.