The film that has been making headlines ever since its release is 'Animal.' After criticisms and backlashes, Ranvijay (portrayed by Ranbir Kapoor) in 'Animal' is being widely compared to Viraj Dobriyal (portrayed by Karanvir Bohra) from 'Saubhagyavati Bhava' (2011).
Bohra, in an interview revealed that “It’s overwhelming to see how people still love that character so much and are creating these funny memes out of it.”
Despite a segment of the society criticizing the glorification of toxic masculinity, the movie's high box office numbers don't seem to be slowing down. Bohra argues that the reason why this movie is gaining popularity is because it depicts the realities of the world.
“10 years ago, our channel wanted to know why a character like Viraj’s was doing so well and they found that that people like watching such characters as they are taken from real life,” he shares, adding, “We need to accept that life is not all roses and fairytales. And through movies and shows, we are just sharing stories of the real world and not propagating the message of domestic violence. There is a difference between sharing stories and propagating agendas.”
Responding to those who believe that the movie depicting toxic behaviour is normal, Bohra says, “People who are criticizing it are denying the truth. Moreover, when it comes to showing such stories, I don’t think there is anything wrong or right. When it comes to cinema and making art, one may hold a certain perception and may choose to show a story according to that. Others may not agree with it but that does not mean it’s wrong. I am okay with showing misogynistic characters but I am not okay with skin show. However, it’s my personal opinion. You cannot curb creativity. It’s all fictional but it’s all taken from real life."
Bohra emphasizes that the intention is not to convey a misleading message or encourage people to adopt those characters' behaviour. “And even if people take the wrong message from it, I think women today have become very smart to not become a victim of misogyny.”
In fact, he is of the belief that such movies help in voicing today's issues. “Rashmika Mandanna’s character takes the right step when her husband cheats. She tells the women what to do when something like this happens. I agree that the film shows the reality that not everybody would stick to the concept of monogamy, but it also shows and if they do something like this, they will have to deal with the repercussions of it.”
Giving examples from his own professional journey, he says, “We created a lot of awareness and didn’t leave it in limbo. I used to go to a city every month to have talks about domestic violence. We took the responsibility of making people aware that they should not continue to endure it. So many people would come out and tell us that they are going through something similar.”
He ended by saying, “So all these films and shows are doing is entertain people and raise awareness and hence should be consumed like that."
