Sandeep Reddy Vanga gets into argument after Indian Idol contestant slams Animal: 'Woke lens hatao'

Filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga found himself in a heated argument with a female contestant on Indian Idol 15 after she expressed concerns about certain scenes in his 2023 film Animal. A viral video captures the tense exchange, where Vanga advises her to watch the movie without a "woke lens" and simply enjoy it for its entertainment value.

The incident happened during a special episode of Indian Idol 15 when Vanga appeared as a guest. During the show, contestant Myscmme Bosu praised Animal, but also mentioned that her co-contestant, Manasi, didn't enjoy the film. This sparked the disagreement, leading to Vanga's comment about viewing the film without over-analysing it.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga in Indian Idol....
Quite a Discussion #SandeepReddyVanga #AnimalPark #AnimalMovie #RanbirKapoor #Bollywood #RRRMovie pic.twitter.com/Nld8ddhI0i

— CineVibes (@CineVibes30) December 9, 2024

Manasi then shared her reasons for disliking the film, saying, "There's a scene where the actress is asked to lick the actor's shoe. I personally have a problem with that." In response, Sandeep Reddy Vanga quickly fired back, "But that didn't actually happen in the scene. You have an issue with the 'joota chaato' scene, but you don’t have a problem with the hero killing 300 people?"

Manasi also referenced Javed Akhtar during the discussion, quoting the veteran screenwriter's criticism of the film, where he had called it "dangerous for society." In response, Vanga laughed and said, "If Javed Ji wasn’t a lyricist or story writer, I’d take his words seriously," before bursting into laughter.

The contestant also brought up another controversial scene from Vanga's blockbuster film Kabir Singh, questioning whether he believes it’s right for two people in a relationship to slap each other.

Vanga replied, "It was their love. The point is, don’t watch a film to learn something. Watch it only for entertainment. And remove the 'woke lens.' Start watching it normally. There will always be people who will look for problems."

Animal was one of the highest-grossing films of 2023, but it also became one of the most-debated. The film divided audiences across the nation, with some criticizing it for portraying the lead character as toxic and misogynistic, while others defended it as a bold, intense narrative.