Sandeep Reddy Vanga DEFENDS Kabir Singh, dismisses misogyny allegations; says, “4 people wrote articles about it, and that inspired others”

Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the director of the controversial Bollywood film Kabir Singh, has said that he doesn’t take the criticism surrounding the film seriously. The film was released in 2019 and was a major commercial success. However, it was also widely criticised for its allegedly misogynistic content, particularly a scene in which the male protagonist forcibly kisses the female protagonist.

In a recent interview with CNN-News18, Vanga was asked about the controversy. He said that he only takes criticism from “people who are serious about cinema.” He added that he doesn’t think Kabir Singh is a misogynistic film and that the majority of people who saw the film enjoyed it.

The filmmaker said, “Four people wrote articles about it, and that inspired others to write more articles. Not more than 20 people in total, it was their point-of-view. We should not talk about all that, bhool jao Kabir Singh ko (forget Kabir Singh).”

Vanga’s comments are likely to further fuel the debate about Kabir Singh. The film has been praised for its performances and its depiction of toxic masculinity, but it has also been criticised for its glorification of violence and its negative portrayal of women.

It remains to be seen whether Vanga’s next film, Animal, will be as controversial as Kabir Singh. Animal is a gangs drama starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Rashmika Mandanna.

Also Read: Animal director Sandeep Reddy Vanga says Ranveer Singh passed on Kabir Singh as it was too ‘dark’ for him; people were concerned about Shahid Kapoor’s casting: “None of his solo films had done Rs. 100 crore then”