Sandeep Reddy Vanga's second Hindi film, Animal, has been making headlines, for a range of reasons, ever since the first look was released. While the film has set cash registers ringing, some of the action-drama's scenes have come to be perceived as problematic and polarising. However, the consensus on one aspect of the film is clear: the cast, featuring standout performances by Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor, and Triptii Dimri, has left an indelible impact on audiences. In particular, Bobby Deol has managed to impress audiences with his short yet stirring performance as the ruthless Abrar Haque. The climax fight scene between Abrar and Ranbir Kapoor's Ranvijay Singh Balbir has managed to strike a chord with fans of the film. Speaking about the scene to The Quint, Bobby Deol revealed that estranged cousins Abrar and Ranvijay were supposed to share a kiss in the scene but it was later edited out by Sandeep Reddy Vanga.
Offering context, Bobby Deol shared how Sandeep Reddy Vanga explained the scene to him. “There are these two brothers, they want to kill each other, but there's a love that they have for each other. I'm going to shoot the climax sequence with a song playing in the background, which is about love,” Bobby Deol quoted Sandeep as saying. “He said, ‘You're fighting, and you suddenly kiss him, and then you don't give up, and he kills you'. But he removed the kiss. There was a kiss. I think it might come on the uncut Netflix version,” Bobby Deol revealed, adding, “After saying all this, he said, ‘You're mute'.”
Explaining how Sandeep envisioned and executed the scene, Bobby Deol said, “Both their families love each other. We are family. There is love for each other's brothers. But that moment was also Sandeep's idea. We were doing the fight sequence, practicing for it, and then he said, ‘You know what Bobby, I want you to punch him and lie on top of him'. It was more about me being powerful. Obviously, the hero always wins in the end. And the shot of me unzipping, it was his idea. He brings that alpha thing to every character.”
Bobby Deol has also been singing praises of his co-star and leading man, Ranbir Kapoor. Speaking to News 18, he said, "Ranbir's an amazing guy. I love him. I've worked with a lot of actors. But he gave me a lot of respect. He's a superstar and despite that, he dragged me with him everywhere he went to promote the film. No one does that. Everybody just wants to steal the limelight. But he's not like that. He has no insecurities…He's a gem of a guy. What's similar between us is that we're both very family-oriented. We both come from film families and we know what it is to be a part of the industry. That connected us,” adding that he is a fan of Ranbir Kapoor's craft.
Animal released in theatres on December 1.
