National Award-winning actress Konkona Sensharma has explained why she chose not to watch Sandeep Reddy Vanga's latest blockbuster Animal, citing her reservations about the portrayal of violence without reason and the themes allegedly glorified in Vanga's previous works.
"I personally don’t have a problem with depicting violence on screen as long as there is a very good reason for it. There has to be a reason why it’s there in the film because it connects to the character, it connects to the plot or whatever, it has to justify itself. Even with sex, I don’t have a problem with viewing sex, but I don’t want to be there just for the sake of it. I don’t want to see violence just for the sake of it,” Konkona said in a viral clip from her recent interview with journalist Smita Prakash.
Konkona emphasised the importance of intent behind such depictions, stressing that violence on screen should serve a purpose and contribute meaningfully to the narrative. "What is the intent of the director?" she asked, highlighting the need for a clear motive behind incorporating violent scenes.
The Wake Up Sid actress revealed that she refrained from watching Animal not only because it didn't align with her personal preferences but also due to her awareness of Vanga's previous works. Without explicitly mentioning the director's name, she spoke about the glorification of stalking and the acceptance of certain forms of violence in relationships in his previous films.
"I have not watched Animal because I don’t feel it’s my kind of film. I haven’t really been drawn to it even from the reviews and things. Also, I am aware of his previous work, where stalking has been glorified, certain violence has been made acceptable in relationships, and that’s not what I stand for," she said.
Konkona acknowledged that while the film might have found its audience and garnered success, she does not see herself as part of the target audience. "If it’s done very well, I don’t mind watching it. But that’s not what I have heard. And I don’t think I am the target audience anyway. There are millions of people who are watching it, so it’s doing very well, they don’t need me," she concluded.
Animal — Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Triptii Dimri — emerged as one of the highest grossing Indian films of 2023 with a collection of Rs 917 crore gross worldwide. The action drama, however, faced flak for allegedly glorifying toxic masculinity, misogyny and violence.
Meanwhile, Konkona was jubilant as Zoya Akhtar’s directorial debut Luck By Chance completed 15 years of release on Tuesday. “So lucky and proud to be part of this film ♥,” she wrote on X.
Headlined by Farhan Akhtar and Konkona, Luck By Chance narrated the story of two struggling actors and featured Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Juhi Chawla, Sanjay Kapoor, Isha Sharvani, Alyy Khan and Sheeba Chaddha in pivotal roles.
