Did you know that Ranbir Kapoor’s trendsetting Animal look was almost rejected by Sandeep Reddy Vanga initially

Ranbir Kapoor in Animal

It’s difficult to imagine Ranbir Kapoor without the long hair and beard when one thinks of him as the intense and brooding Ranvijay Singh in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal.

But that distinctive look almost never made it to the screen. Recently in an interview with Galatta India, celebrity hairstylist Aalim Hakim disclosed director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s first impression of Ranbir’s rough look saying that he was a little skeptical of his edgy avatar as it resembled too much his Sanju avatar.

“If Ranbir’s hair and beard would not be long for his role in Animal, I don’t think his character would sit with,” Aalim added. “Long hair working nahi kar raha badman or kya lag raha dono Sanju “Vanga sir first said Long hair nahi chalega it’s not hero type but I must say fell in love with my villain more than my hero.” I had to convince him that when the whole look came together, it would feel like something else.”

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Shedding light on the making of Ranvijay, Hakim had earlier said, “It took time and vision to crack Ranvijay’s look. I explained the Bhansali vision to each and every member of the team, including my little master Keval Prajapati, who played young Ravnijay and all of them beautifully presented the quintessential villain in Indian cinema. In the end, it definitely came in handy; it has since become one of the character's signature traits and adds a lot to this current version of the character (for me, anyway!)

About Animal

Animal, which released in 2023, follows Ranvijay Singh, a man whose violent aggression is unleashed after his father Balbir Singh (Anil Kapoor) faces a threat to his life. In the action-packed tale, Ranvijay fights against many adversaries, the final being his forgotten cousin, Abrar Haque (Bobby Deol).

Rashmika Mandanna plays Geethanjali, Ranvijay’s wife, and Triptii Dimri is Zoya, his love interest. The climax hints at the sequel with a new supervillain and Ranvijay’s journey ahead.

But the film drew flak for its depiction of women — a common criticism in Sandeep Reddy Vanga movies — it went on to become a blockbuster, earning Rs 915 crore worldwide.

Ranbir Kapoor And Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Next Upuition

More about the actor After Animal and his 2023 release Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, Ranbir Kapoor is filming Love & War with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, as well as Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana.

On the other hand, Sandeep Reddy Vanga is preparing for his next ambitious film, Spirit, featuring Prabhas as a cop. The film, which is anticipated to go on floors this year, originally had Deepika Padukone being considered for the role. But she stepped back because of pay and working hour issues. She has now been replaced by Triptii Dimri, who has earlier worked with Vanga in Animal.

From questionable haircuts to global box office domination, Animal continues to make its mark — a testament to its place both as a film spectacle and as an interesting case study of character design and entertainment business belief.