Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, became quite the sensation when it was released in Indian theatres. The film proved to be a mammoth at the box office and is regarded as one of the highest-grossing
Hindi films of all time. Recently, Ranbir and Sandeep addressed fans at a screening ahead of the film’s Japan release. The actor admitted to being scared of doing a film like Animal.
Ranbir said, “I must credit Sandeep for seeing me in a character like this. As was mentioned, I was always playing the lover boy, coming-of-age characters. But when I heard Animal, when Sandeep narrated it to me, I found the character extremely scary for an actor like me to approach. But with a lot of confidence from the director’s side, I think that instilled confidence in me too.”
Speaking of his character, Ranbir added, “I think he is someone who is protective. He is volatile, deeply emotional, and will take extreme measures to protect his family. I think that is an emotion we can connect with in any part of the world. Whenever Animal was released all over the world, we really got that response; people really connected with the family story. That is what really excited me as an actor.”
Ranbir Kapoor said, “I really loved his (Sandeep) previous work. He made one film, in Telugu and then in Hindi. I met him for the first time, and it is a rare time when you connect with somebody. I connected with him as a person. I connected with what he was trying to say through the story.”
He added, “This may seem like a very intense, action-oriented, bloodied film, but I think the core emotion, the father-son emotion, was something that a lot of men from my generation… we grew up with that distance from our father. So I think I really connected with that deep emotion. It was one of my most treasured and memorable collaborations that I had with a director in my career.”
After Animal, Ranbir Kapoor will also be seen in its sequel, Animal Park. In an interview with Deadline Hollywood, when asked if Animal Park is in production, Ranbir Kapoor said, “The director is right now making another film. We should start that film in 2027. It’s a bit away.”
When asked if he had seen the script, Ranbir said, “He (Reddy Vanga) just kind of flirted with what he really wants to do with the movie. He wants to make it in three parts. The second part is called Animal Park.”
As of 2026, Ranbir Kapoor is in one of the most ambitious phases of his career. He is currently working on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War, a 1960s-set historical drama also starring Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal, slated for release in June 2026. Later in the year, Ranbir will appear in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part One, where he takes on the role of Lord Ram.
