Kushboo Sundar Reveals Daughters Asked Her Not To Watch Animal

Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, featuring Ranbir Kapoor, remains a hot topic in the entertainment world. The film has garnered numerous critical reviews for its portrayal of a toxic and masculine narrative. Now, actress Kushboo Sundar has brought attention to the societal implications of the film. Despite not having watched it herself, Kushboo expressed serious concerns about its growing popularity, highlighting the depiction of misogynistic content as alarming for society. However, she does not point fingers at the director but at the audience.

Speaking at Witt: Female Protagonist – The New Hero, Kushboo shared her concerns regarding the overwhelming success of Animal. She said, “First thing I would like to say in this room is that I haven’t watched the film Animal because that’s not my kind of film. If a film like Animal continues to be one of the biggest box office-grossing films, then we need to think about the mindset of the people who go and watch such films. Even before that, we had a major issue with Kabir Singh. I don’t blame the director because I think for him it’s the success which is going to count.”

Kushboo went on to highlight the contradiction between societal aspirations for gender equality and the popularity of films like Animal, which have drawn criticism for their portrayal of women. Expressing her disappointment, she questioned the motivations of audiences, particularly educated youngsters, who flock to cinemas to watch such movies. “And they’re all youngsters. They’re educated youngsters. ‘Oh, we love the film.’ And I’m like, ‘Guys, what’s going on in your mind?” she asserted.

Kushboo also revealed that she didn’t want her daughters to watch the movie, but they did anyway. When they came back, they warned her not to watch it. This made Kushboo think about why people continue to watch such movies, and she believes there is a need for a change in mindset.

Kushboo Sundar is renowned for her contributions to Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi cinema. Her journey in the film industry began at a young age when she appeared as a child artist in the Hindi film The Burning Train (1980), notably featuring in the song Teri Hai Zameen Tera Aasman. She then made her acting debut with a supporting role in the critically acclaimed Hindi film Meri Jung (1985), where she portrayed Anil Kapoor’s younger sister. The same year marked her debut as a lead actress in the film Jaanoo, where she starred opposite veteran actor Jackie Shroff.

Apart from Ranbir Kapoor, Animal also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, and Triptii Dimri in significant roles.