MUMBAI : The moment the first shot rolls in, you know what this movie is about. Ranbir Kapoor has had many of his scripts revolving around a father-son relationship, but nothing comes close to Animal. If nothing else amuses you, the number of times Ranbir Kapoor says “Papa” on screen will baffle you.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga is back with a bang, and now he has decided to take things up a notch, just like he promised to the world before Animal was released that he was going to make a film India has never seen, and on that, he delivers effortlessly. The sheer screen presence of Ranbir Kapoor, portraying Ranvijay Balbir Singh, the wealthy heir of Swastik Steels, is undeniable. With AR Rahman’s ‘Dil hai chota sa’ being played in the background, our protagonist makes a massive entry as he rides onto the screen for Geentajali’s (Played by Rashmika Mandanna) engagement.

If you have watched Arjun Reddy/Kabir Singh, you know what you are in for when Sandeep Reddy Vanga is in the driver’s seat, but you will still be gawking over many instances from Animal. So let’s get it all out, shall we? Yes, you are going to be offended by the dialogues; yes, Ranvijay Singh will come across as misogynistic, Obsessive, Alpha, Delusional, and the list will go on. But here’s the thing: with a director like Vanga, you will hardly notice that the movie is a chunky 3-hour-long affair and with precise cuts and exceptionally catchy music from Harshvardhan Rameshwar, you are sure to get engrossed in the film with every scene.

The first half grabs you and delivers a Ranbir Kapoor you might not have seen before. This role tested his skills to portray the brash alpha male while switching to a gentle soul with a toxic childhood. Irrespective of the questionable character written by Vanga, he delivers many truths society often willingly ignores. Ranvijay delivers a monologue to Geetanjali in the first half of the movie that talks about his attitude and how he took over the role of an alpha male while fending for his family when his dad was away taking care of the family business. His outlook of men being divided into Alpha Male and the rest of the men who just spoke but didn’t act on it gives you a clear perspective on the character development of Ranvijay and a bitter truth we often see in our society.

As we progress through the movie and enter the second half, we see an innate helplessness in the women that Vanga portrays: The women who are drawn to bad boys and the women who only serve the purpose of being “good obedient wives”, and I’m not trying to wave the flag of feminism here. Still, we have seen this character development of women in Bollywood repeatedly. However, subtle moments of fierceness by Geetanjali to bring Ranjviyay back to his senses and the efforts Rashmika Mandanna made to bring this character onto the screen is worth mentioning.

Always a charmer and enough to make you smile/cry with his looks alone, Anil Kapoor does what he does best by portraying the business tycoon Balbir Singh. One character that needs to be mentioned as the ultimate “Animal” onscreen is Freddy, played by Upendra Limaye; his dialogue delivery and few minutes of brilliance will surely live for a while through memes. But above all, there was a man who, without uttering a word, made the second half worth watching. His return to the big screen with a production of this calibre was what every ‘Boobian’ was waiting for the one and only Bobby Deol, who was a breath of fresh air amidst all the “Papas” that were being dished out over 3 hours. His body language and the innate acceptance of his character, Abrar Haque, was worth every penny you pay for.

As we reach the end of the movie, one can’t help but appreciate Vanga’s adaptability to capture the culture and attitude of his characters. There were moments where you wonder if growing your hair and beard is a sign of an alpha male, as seen with his previous work, but the dedication with which Vanga’s protagonists accept their role makes you want to sit erect and pound your chest.

You may have to wait with baited breaths to know why he loves his “Papa” so much, but like the film, you may end up getting disappointed, as he has no clue why he is so obsessed with his dad. Nonetheless, this is Vanga’s warcry to all those who raised a finger at him, and the end credit scene is his answer. You’ll have to watch it to know.

A compelling portrayal of masculine obsession and its gripping intensity. 3/5 stars