‘Agar Ranbir ko 3 ghante…’: Bobby Deol on overshadowing Ranbir Kapoor in Animal, impact his character Abrar had
Many fans believe Bobby Deol overshadowed Ranbir Kapoor in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal. Here's what Lord Bobby has to say about it
In 2023, filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga introduced the world to a never-seen-before avatar of Ranbir Kapoor in his blockbuster hit film Animal. Even though the action drama received criticism and was accused for glorifying misogyny and violence by many, we can all agree that Animal was one of RK’s most versatile performances yet. It was also one of the projects which marked Bobby Deol’s comeback, with many calling him Lord Bobby after the film’s release. Many fans even believe that Bobby overshadowed Ranbir in the 15 minutes that he shined onscreen as Abrar Haque. But what does Bobby think of these comparisons?
Ranbir Kapoor was phenomenal in Animal. But the reaction that Bobby Deol’s character Abrar Haque received, after his smashing entry on the song Jamal Kudu, despite having zero dialogues, was unmatched. In a recent interview with Filmygyan, when asked to respond to a fan who felt Abrar overshadowed RK in the film, Bobby stated, “Aisa kuchh nahi hai. Agar Ranbir ko 3 ghante sambhaalne the, mujhe sirf 15 minute sambhaalne the. Agar Ranbir woh 3 ghante nahi sambhaal paata toh mere 15 minute ka koi value nahi hota.”
When asked to comment on the impact that his character had, Bobby shared, “Isliye hua kyunki Ranbir ka character, jis hisaab se Ranbir ne usse perform kiya... agar usne theek se nahi kiya hota naa, toh mera aana, matlab hi nahi rakhta.” The actor went on to explain, “I was lucky that Sandeep... See, an action film, a drama, only works when you have a strong antagonist and a strong protagonist, and they both have to really work towards winning. It can't be, yeh shuru se pata hai ki yeh toh hero hi jeetega. Phir maza nahi aata, audience ko bhi maza nahi aata.”
Bobby’s character was killed off in the end of Animal. But Ranbir is all set to return to our screens with the sequel, titled Animal Park. On his birthday this year, the actor confirmed that shooting begins in 2027.
