Vivek called Sandeep his "alter ego"
The filmmaker defended Vanga's filmmaking style
Vivek feels that people are having issues not with Vanga's content, but with his success
Sandeep Reddy Vanga, known for his films like Arjun Reddy, Kabir Singh, and Animal, have faced criticism for glorifying toxic masculinity and violence in his work. Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri supports Vanga's filmmaking, calling him his "alter ego". Agnihotri thinks that Vanga is showing the truth of society through his films.
In an interview with Humans of Bombay, Vivek, defending Vanga, said, "Sandeep Reddy Vanga is more like my alter ego in the industry. Just like me, he speaks fearlessly. People question Sandeep Reddy Vanga for toxic masculinity, but what is really happening in the society? Isn’t it the truth? Does your society respect women?", adding, "It is just his storytelling. He is showing the world to the people from his point of view."
The filmmaker also recalled Shekhar Kapur facing criticism for making Bandit Queen from Phoolan Devi's point of view. He said that eventually the perspective of the film gained acceptance. He also gave reference to his film The Kashmir Files, which faced similar criticism, but he revealed that later, people reached out to him to say that they resonated with the film after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Further talking about Vanga, Vivek said, "I am not claiming that I believe in Vanga," and said that he "has the right to tell stories from his point of view."
"People who are abusing him are also using their right. But, at the end of the day, he is laughing, looking at his bank," he added.
The filmmaker also said that people don't really have problems with Vanga's content, but with his success.
On the work front, Vivek is currently gearing up for the release of his upcoming film, The Bengal Files: Right to Life, which is said to be set against the backdrop of the 1940s in Bengal. The film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, and Govind Namdev, among others. It is set to release on September 5, 2025.
While Vanga has Animal Park and Spirit in the pipeline.
