Rashmika HITS OUT at critics for slamming Ranbir Kapoor’s role in Animal: ‘How can the same be…’

In a recent chat with Mojo Story at the We The Women event in London, Rashmika Mandanna didn't hold back while addressing the backlash Animal faced for its bold portrayal of toxic masculinity and morally gray characters. Rashmika - who played Geetanjali, the fiercely loyal yet heartbroken wife to Ranbir's intense Ranvijay - reminded us all that movies are, well, movies. "If you're someone who's going to get influenced by a film, then watch your kind of films," she quipped, with a wink to the audience's freedom of choice.

The actress clarified that nobody's compelling anybody to watch every movie. "If that were the case, every movie would be a blockbuster!"

While talking about Ranbir Kapoor's character in the film Animal, Ranvijay - a character who is as polarizing as pineapple on pizza, the critics called him out for his toxic traits and violent streak, sparking debates about whether the film glorified problematic behavior.

However, talking about her co-actor's in the film, Rashmika defended Ranbir's choice of playing Ranvijay. "There are gray characters in each one of us," she said, shrugging off the criticism with a smile. "Sandeep Reddy Vanga just told a story about a messed-up guy, and people celebrated it it made numbers!" And oh, did it ever! With a jaw-dropping Rs 917 crore at the global box office, Animal roared its way to being the third highest-grossing Indian film of 2023.

Rashmika and Ranbir's chemistry was also visible off-screen, where in an interview with Mashable India, Rashmika opened up about how Ranbir had his chef cook up a delicious breakfast for her after she complained about her "boring" meal on the set of the film Animal. "I was like, 'How can the same food be so good?'" she laughed, tearing up from his sweet gesture. "Hum toh aam aadmi hain!" (We're just common people) she joked.