'Marry The Director's Mind': Ranbir Kapoor's Recipe Of Bringing Characters To Life

The thrilling teaser of actor Ranbir Kapoor’s upcoming film ‘Animal’ was released recently and the audience response is phenomenal. Be it Ranbir’s character transition from a clean-shaven lad to a bearded gangster or Bobby Deol’s crazy last-minute entry, the short clip has amplified the anticipation about the film to a whole new level. If the teaser is anything to go by, the lead protagonist has several layers to his character. For a second he appears to be a sweet man and the very next moment, he grabs the shade of an anti-hero. Now, in a recent interaction with Film Companion, when asked about his recipe for bringing his character to life, Ranbir Kapoor revealed he needs the director to fall in love with him for that to happen.

According to the Barfi actor what audiences experience on screen is nothing but the magic of cinema. “There are so many people who are behind trying to get your character alive," he said. But his method remained simple from the time he began filming his first movie. For Ranbir, it is quite important to “marry the director’s mind." He explained, “It’s very important because I am that Bandra boy who’s lived a very luxurious life. Traveled all around the world but I don’t know my own country. I don’t know my own people, my own characters. I always have to steal their experiences for me to be better and that love story between me and the director is very important. He has to fall deeply in love with me. And I have to be deeply in love with him."

The Animal teaser begins with Ranbir casually strolling with Rashmika Mandanna’s Geetanjali in a serene field of flowers. They warmly discuss plans to have kids in the future when suddenly there’s a shift in Ranbir’s character. He is ticked off by Geetanjali’s casual character assessment of his father. “My father is the best father in the world," says Ranbir angrily before stroking off. The scene cuts to a flashback depicting his troubled relationship with father Balbir (Played by Anil Kapoor).

It appears that Ranbir takes over his father’s criminal business, in a mean gangster look who always roams with gun-wielding goons. The latter half of the teaser is pure rage, with the lead anti-hero entangled in what seems to be a bloody gang war. An unsettling conversation between Ranbir and Balbir makes it evident that the former has dwelled on a path that he cannot come back from or undo. A scene of him getting showered with bullets and lying in a pool of blood teases his death but what makes the end more exciting is the appearance of a shirtless Bobby Deol who is likely the main antagonist. With zero dialogue, Bobby’s bearded angry man keeps audiences hooked to uncover what’ll happen next.

Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga of the Kabir Singh fame, Animal will be released theatrically on December 1.