Animal is the kind of material that Ranbir Kapoor's formidable talent richly deserves, observes Mayur Sanap.
Ranbir Kapoor's 41st birthday on Thursday, September 28, 2023, just got more special, as the makers of his next film Animal unveiled its teaser.
If the pre-teaser offered us a glimpse of the film's brutal tone, this one delves into the twisted father-son relationship set against the world of crime.
The little over two-minute clip begins with a conversation between Ranbir and his love interest Geetanjali, played by Rashmika Mandanna. As they talk about starting a family, she unknowingly triggers something within him by asking if he wants to be like his father.
It cuts to a glimpse of a younger Ranbir getting mercilessly slapped by his father, played by Anil Kapoor, who looks like a version of his The Night Manager character.
Despite his father's toxic nature, Ranbir affectionately refers to him as the 'best father in the world' and tells him, 'You trained me well, papa.'
Clearly, there's a lot more here than meets the eye.
The video dramatically cuts to intense music and action-filled devilry, as Ranbir turns into a gangster figure.
In the closing moments, Bobby Deol turns up shirtless with just a knife in hand. One wonders if he is the main antagonist here.
After his romantic turn in Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar, Ranbir effortlessly slips into the brooding action hero persona. From his burly physique to long hair and rugged beard, the actor exudes dangerous charm.
There's a giddy rush of mayhem, violence and unresolved rancour, and Ranbir is perfectly in sync with Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's fiendish vision.
In an interview, Vanga had spoken about depicting even more brutality after his 2019 hit Kabir Singh was criticised for its violence.
One hopes he doesn't go overboard in his attempt to shock the audience.
For now, Animal looks solid. It is the kind of material that Ranbir's formidable talent richly deserves.
The film releases in cinemas on December 1, 2023.
