I refrain from talking about Animal or Kabir Singh or anything that Sandeep Reddy Vanga creates, because it just proves my point further – his work celebrates misogyny. Only, it comes in ways and forms that are scary for women; which is the point itself. But I can still talk about people’s opinions on these films, right? Like the fact that Adil Hussain who was part of Kabir Singh, finds the film misogynistic.
In a recent podcast, the actor talked about how he was cast in the film. He said that he found himself playing the character of a professor after negotiations in the fees. “I think a film like Kabir Singh celebrates something which is not beneficial for the society. It legitimizes male misogyny. It legitimizes violence.” He added that he didn’t dislike the scene where he acted, however, the film is something that he doesn’t stand for.
Hussain also talked about having watched the film, and disliking it. According to him, he hadn’t read the story or watched Arjun Reddy – which is why he didn’t know what exactly Kabir Singh stood for. He added that this is the one role that he regrets playing. “I think it’s misogynist. It made me feel very small, as a human being. I didn’t even dare to watch Animal.” When films orchestrate anything that’s morally and ethically questionable, the least artists can do is take a stand against it.
However, of course, Sandeep Reddy Vanga didn’t like it one bit. We are not saying it. He tweeted. This time he questioned the other work that the actor has done. The director went on to say that since Adil Hussain feels regret, he also feels regret in casting the actor. There are considerations of replacing him with AI now. Clearly, every time another artist calls out the sheer misogyny in Mr Vanga’s work, he retaliates by questioning their entire career. You sense the pattern?
Watch the entire podcast here:
Discourse makes sense when there’s open communication – where people try and listen to all sides of things. Some times, there’s just no point, because trying requires equal effort from both sides. In this case, there will always be two arguments – and that’s the truth of things.