Ranbir Kapoor and Sandeep Reddy Vanga teamed up in 2023 for Animal, which became a box office hit. However, the movie also sparked criticism, as some found it excessively violent and accused it of promoting toxic masculinity. Now, Vanga has credited Ranbir for the film’s success.
In a conversation with the YouTube channel Game Changers, Vanga reflected on how Animal stood out, not just for its gripping storytelling but also for the trust and understanding he shared with the Bollywood actor. He acknowledged that Ranbir never questioned or altered any scene, which made the process seamless.

“For anything, there are so many scenes where an actor could say, ‘Nahi, yeh thoda zyada hua, yeh thoda kam hua’ (No, this was a bit too much, or this wasn’t enough),” Vanga explained. However, he emphasised that Ranbir never raised such concerns.
The Arjun Reddy director also revealed that their creative connection was instinctive, and he couldn’t pinpoint how their rapport worked. Throughout the filming process, Vanga often turned to Ranbir for feedback, but the actor always trusted his vision. Ranbir used to react, “Mujhe nahi pata, tereko kya lag raha? Tujhe lag raha sahi jaa raha? Toh sahi jaa raha. (I don’t know. What do you think? If you feel we’re on the right track, then we are)” .
In the same conversation, Vanga addressed the criticism from the film industry regarding the movie’s violent content. He noted that while many criticised him for the excessive violence, nobody questioned Ranbir’s involvement. Instead, they simply praised his acting skills while condemning the film’s brutality. Vanga speculated that industry insiders refrained from criticising Ranbir because they might be planning to collaborate with him in the future.
Following the box office success of ‘Animal’, Sandeep Reddy Vanga is now preparing for a horror thriller with Prabhas, titled ‘Spirit’.