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 stars Ranbir Kapoor in the lead role, alongside Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna and Tripti Dimri. It was produced by T-Series Films, Bhadrakali Pictures and Cine1 Studios. The film centres on a troubled, violence-prone son and his fraught relationship with his industrialist father, against the backdrop of a family feud.
| 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 |
| Production companies | T-Series Films, Bhadrakali Pictures, Cine1 Studios |
| Lead cast | Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna, Tripti Dimri |
| Cinematography | Amit Roy |
| Editor | Sandeep Reddy Vanga |
| Music | Pritam, Vishal Mishra, Manan Bhardwaj, Jaani, Shreyas Puranik, Harshavardhan Rameshwar, Ashim Kemson, Gurinder Seagal, Bhupinder Babbal |
| Language | Hindi (released in multiple Indian languages) |
| Theatrical release | 1 December 2023 |
| Country | India |
The narrative follows Ranvijay Singh Balbir, the estranged son of wealthy industrialist Balbir Singh. Long stretches of paternal neglect leave Ranvijay obsessive about earning his father's affection. When an attempt is made on Balbir's life, Ranvijay assumes the role of family protector, unleashing a violent campaign against the perpetrators while his marriage and personal relationships fracture under the weight of his fixations.
Animal was officially announced on 1 January 2021, on Ranbir Kapoor's birthday, marking his first collaboration with Sandeep Reddy Vanga after the director's earlier Hindi work Kabir Singh (2019). Principal photography commenced in 2022 and was carried out across locations in India and abroad, including Manali, Delhi and Mussoorie, with portions filmed in Scotland. The film was shot largely in Hindi but dubbed and released simultaneously in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.
The soundtrack was released by T-Series and features compositions by multiple artistes. Prominent tracks include "Arjan Vailly" performed by Bhupinder Babbal, "Satranga" sung by Arijit Singh, "Papa Meri Jaan" by Sonu Nigam, "Hua Main" by Raghav Chaitanya, and "Pehle Bhi Main" by Vishal Mishra. The background score was composed by Harshavardhan Rameshwar.
Animal was theatrically released worldwide on 1 December 2023, including in IMAX. The film received a polarised critical response: while several reviewers praised the performances of Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol, and the technical craft, others criticised the film's runtime of over three hours, its depiction of violence and its gender politics. Despite the divided reception, Animal performed strongly at the box office and emerged as one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2023.
Animal marked a major commercial milestone for Ranbir Kapoor, following his earlier 2023 release Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar. It also reaffirmed Sandeep Reddy Vanga's position as a commercially bankable director in Hindi cinema after Kabir Singh. The film's box-office trajectory contributed to a wider revival of large-format theatrical Hindi releases in 2023, alongside titles such as Pathaan, Jawan and Gadar 2. A sequel, titled Animal Park, was announced as part of the film's closing sequence.