Media365
Sandeep Reddy Vanga is unwilling to let go of the massive criticism faced by his 2023 directorial Animal featuring Ranbir Kapoor. In the latest podcast, he hit back at IAS officer Vikas Divyakriti who criticised the movie saying that such films set the ‘society 10 years back’. The director clapped back at his comment by comparing the UPSC exams with filmmaking.
In a recent podcast, Sandeep Reddy Vanga shared that people had lengthy takes on his movie but are often quiet regarding societal issues. Though he did not take Vikas Divyakriti’s name, he did refer to his statements. Vanga asserted that was made to feel like a ‘criminal’ for making Animal.
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In the Game Changers podcast, he said, “There is this IAS officer. In a very serious interview, he said, ‘Movies like Animal shouldn’t be made’. The way he sounded, the way he was saying, it was literally, mujhe laga ki kuch criminal kaam kiya maine (I felt as if I had committed a crime). ‘On one hand, films like 12th Fail are made and on the other films like Animal jo samaajh ko peeche leke jarraha hai (which is pulling the society backwards)’.”
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Adding to this, the filmmaker shared, “I’m very honest in saying this ki koi unnecessary attack karega na toh 100% gusssa ayegaa (If anyone attacks unnecessarily, there will be anger). I feel that, he is an IAS officer, he studied to become one. What I think is, go to Delhi, get enrolled in an institute, give 2-3 years of your life, you can crack IAS. There will be a limited amount of books, right? You will study 1500 books…you can crack IAS. I’ll give you in writing. There is no course, there is no teacher that can make you a filmmaker and a writer.”
Vikas Divyakirti played himself in the 2023 film 12th Fail which was headlined by Vikrant Massey. Speaking at the Neelesh Mishra interview in 2024, he said, “A film like Animal takes our society back by 10 years. A film like this should not be made. You earned money. You showed that your hero behaves like an animal. There should be some social value, or are people working only for financial value?” Despite being massively criticised for being misogynistic, the Ranbir Kapoor starrer minted ₹ 553.87 Cr at the domestic box office.
