Konkona Sensharma on Ranbir Kapoor's 'Animal': 'Haven't seen it because it's not my kind of film, even the reviews...'

Amid viewers expressing a divided opinion on the recent Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Animal, with some delivering high praise for the film while others signalling their dismay at its depiction of violence and misogyny, actor Konkona Sensharma has sought to justify the portrayal of violence in the movie.

In an interview with ANI, the actor said, “I don’t have a problem with depicting violence on screen as long as there is very good reason for it. Even sex. I don’t have a problem with viewing sex but I don’t want to be there just for the sake of it. I don’t want to see violence just for the sake of it. I don’t want to see sex for the sake of it.

“There has to be a reason why it’s there in the film because it connects to the characters or it connects to the plot, or whatever it has to justify itself. That is one thing, why is it there? What is the intent of the director?”

Notably, Konkona has starred opposite Ranbir Kapoor in the 2009 romantic comedy Wake up Sid.

Even though Konkona has not watched the 2023 released film till now, she is lavish in complimenting the work of director Sandeep Reddy Vanga.

“From what I understand and I may be mistaken, I’ve not watched ‘Animal’ because I don’t feel it’s my kind of film. I haven’t been drawn to the film even from the reviews and things. Also, I’m aware of his previous work and he stands by that work, the director and where a certain violence has been made acceptable in relationships and that is not what I stand for. Now, if it’s done very well. I don’t mind watching it,” Konkona said

“But that’s not what I’ve heard. And I don’t think I’m the target audience anyway. Millions of people are watching it, so it’s doing very well and they don’t need me,” she said.

Talking about the kind of cinema, she wants to be part of the actor who starred in her first film way back in 1983 said, “I don’t think commercial (cinema) because that’s not my space. I don’t relate to it myself because I didn’t grow up watching it. So I don’t have that kind of nostalgia or attachment or some childhood memory to it, either.”

“I would like to be part of films like- Mira Nair’s films. I feel at home in ‘Monsoon Wedding’ or ‘Namesake’ or like those kind of films one feels at home like in my mother’s (film director, screenwriter and actor Aparna Sen) films,” said the 44-yera-old actor.

Konkona has proved her mettle on the silver screen in numerous films over the past many years with her body of work that includes the 2002 film Mr and Mrs Iyer, followed by movies such as Page 3, Omkara,  15 Park Avenue, Luck By Chance, Wake Up Sid, among others.

In an interview with The Indian Express, the actress spoke about her experiences as an actor during the early phase of her career and how she was a part of a big film she termed as ‘sometimes silly’.

She first said, “I got offered this film by a very lovely man, Subrata Sen. And the film went on to do very well. It was a Bengali thriller. It was about this teenager who was in love with an older man, and it was a little sensational type. Like negative character, stalking this older man. And I used to look down on all this. Here we were, doing seminars on theatre of the absurd, and the Dadaist movement, and surrealist movement and all that.”

She then revealed, “And then, in Calcutta, between my second year and third year… It was a commercial film, sometimes quite silly. I literally remember standing in a studio in Calcutta and holding back tears, and hoping that this film never releases.”

On Killer Soup

Talking exclusively to Firstpost about her character in the show, Sharma said, “Possibly when you’re writing dreams, it’s to motivate your characters because you want them to do something because that determines the plot, it becomes the plot. In Swati’s case, I don’t think she was evil, she was steadfast. She wanted to open a restaurant in episode one and she opened a restaurant in episode eight. And a lot of things happened in between and I could relate somehow.”

She added, “As an actor, I’m only trying to gravitate towards the stories, the creators whom I admire, whom I feel an affinity with. While I’m writing, since I’m hardly directing much, then also there’s some initial key points of inspiration, which is mostly a feeling I want to share.”

With added inputs from agencies