Emraan Hashmi on why Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal clicked with audiences despite backlash over its male lead

Actor Emraan Hashmi has shared his views on the debate around hypermasculine characters in Hindi cinema and explained why Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal connected with audiences. Speaking to News18 Showsha, the actor said that despite criticism, films featuring such characters continue to draw crowds to theatres.

Emraan pointed out that while there is strong opposition to characters seen as toxic, ticket sales tell a different story. He said the “hypermasculine man who’s seen as toxic is what’s doing in theatres,” adding that even though “there’s an uproar surrounding it,” people are still buying tickets. Referring to Animal, he said, “Why did a film like Animal work? Yes, there was a woke brigade working against it. There was a perception to that. But there were so many men identifying with it.”

He also spoke about insecurity among male actors in the industry and how that affects the kind of stories being told. Emraan said, “Men in our industry are very insecure. How many people would’ve done a film like Haq? Every narrative should showcase a man’s victory. I’m not blowing my own trumpet here. But even back then, I did a film like The Dirty Picture. I liked the subject. We need to get off our insecurities and do more stuff like that.”

Talking about The Dirty Picture, the 2011 musical drama inspired by the life of Silk Smitha, Emraan noted that the film challenged conventional male centric narratives. Directed by Milan Luthria, the film starred Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah and Tusshar Kapoor, and went on to receive both critical and commercial success.

Emraan’s recent release Haq is based on the 1985 Supreme Court judgement in the Shah Bano case, which dealt with women’s rights and maintenance laws. The film traces Shah Bano’s legal battle after she sought maintenance from her divorced husband. Directed by Suparn S Varma, Haq also stars Yami Gautam, Vartika Singh, Danish Husain, Sheeba Chadha and Aseem Hattangady.

On the work front, Emraan will next be seen in Neeraj Pandey’s Netflix crime drama Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web. The series, set around airports and international trade routes, begins streaming on January 14 and also features Anurag Sinha, Nannyish Sandhu and Amruta Khanvilkar.