Farhan Akhtar on Ranbir Kapoor's alpha male role in Animal: ‘To each their own’
In a recent interview, actor-director Farhan Akhtar opened up about how he doesn’t believe filmmakers should be censored. Here's what he said.
Actor-director Farhan Akhtar seems to have a different opinion from his father, lyricist Javed Akhtar, when it comes to Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal. While he wasn’t showering praise on the film, he said on YouTuber Raj Shamani’s podcast that he doesn’t believe filmmakers should be censored. (Also Read: Farhan Akhtar reveals Hrithik Roshan was first choice for Don, how Shah Rukh Khan landed the part)
‘Who are you to tell…’
When comparisons were drawn between his character in Dil Dhadakne Do and Ranbir Kapoor’s character in Animal, Farhan was quick to say that he doesn’t believe that something should not be made.
He said, “I don’t believe that some things should not be shown. We are in a field where if someone tells me, you can’t make a film like this, I’ll be like, who are you to tell me what I should and should not make? I am permitted by the laws of this country, and I have the freedom of artistic expression to say whatever I want. What the audience wants to listen to, that they’ll decide. I’d never ever tell any filmmaker or writer or producer or anyone, yaar don’t make this, or, this kind of movie can’t be made. To each their own, because I don’t feel that’s right and that’s a dangerous thing to do.”
Farhan also was asked if he thinks women end up liking alpha male characters to which he replied, “I cannot answer for women. There are different types of people in the world. There are people who are fascinated by different kinds of human beings. So, I am sure there are people who find alpha males (attractive). To me, an alpha is someone who is the leader of the pack, the top of the pyramid.”
Javed Akhtar on Animal
Javed, on the other hand, has been quite vocal about his disdain for Animal. Talking at the Ajanta Ellora International Film Festival in Aurangabad in January this year, he did not bring up the film’s name but referred to a scene between Ranbir and Triptii Dimri. He said, “If there’s a film in which a man asks a woman to lick his shoe, if a man says it’s okay to slap a woman…and the film is a super hit, that’s dangerous.”