Actor Bobby Deol‘s performance in Sandeep Reddy Vanga‘s Animal was met with widespread critical acclaim. The film’s director recently opened up about his creative process, revealing that it was a deliberate decision to make Bobby’s character hearing-impaired and speech-impaired. Also read: Animal was criticised, Ranbir was lauded: Sandeep Reddy Vanga; fans remember Kabir Singh, ‘Even Shahid was trolled…’
Sandeep on Bobby’s character
In an interview with trade expert Komal Nahta, Sandeep decoded the thought behind crafting Bobby’s character in the film. Bobby earned a lot of praise for his performance in Sandeep’s Animal, which also featured Ranbir Kapoor. The actor played the role of Abrar Haque, the main antagonist in the film.
“We have seen a lot of films where the hero and villain pick up the phone and abuse each other, or there is some sort of dialoguebaazi throughout the film,” said Sandeep, who subverted this template by completely doing away with this idea.
In the film Bobby enters much later into the film, allowing the first half to focus on developing the primal persona of Ranbir’s character, and highlight his intense devotion to his father, portrayed by Anil Kapoor.
Talking more about Bobby’s role, Sandeep said, “Since we have seen a lot of such exchanges in our films, I just thought of sketching him as a mute and a deaf person. The very idea of a deaf-and-mute person fighting in the climax was such an exciting idea”.
About Animal
The action-drama, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol, faced criticism for its violence and alleged misogynistic undertones. Celebrities such as Javed Akhtar and Kangana Ranaut openly slammed the film. It was released in December, 2023. However, despite the backlash, Animal was a major box-office success, grossing over ₹900 crore worldwide.
The film follows the story of Ranvijay Singh, the son of a powerful industrialist, and his troubled relationship with his father, which worsens when he embarks on a path of vengeance and destruction following an assassination attempt on his father. Sandeep and Ranbir will soon reunite for Animal’s sequel, titled Animal Park. Meanwhile, Sandeep is busy with his next titled Spirit, which marks his maiden collaboration with Prabhas.
