Violence in Bollywood Films: A Critical Analysis of ‘Animal’

Abstract

The cinematic portrayal of violence has long been a subject of controversy. This study delves into the aspects of the film ‘Animal’, where the portrayal of violence and gore is evaluated for its impact on the audience mind-set and society. With the objective to analyse some critical aspects related to audience reactions, response to stimuli and societal implications of the portrayal of violence in this film, this study attempts to propose certain recommendations. A mixed method approach has been used in this study. Quantitative data was collected through survey method using snowball sampling technique and analysed. A qualitative analysis of the film’s reviews, personal observation and focused group discussion was done. For the final outcome of the study the findings were triangulated. The study revealed that females were more in-disagreement to violent films made, released and watched by masses, such as ‘Animal’. They were of the opinion that such films probably would have a very negative impact especially on the children, other than the society at large. On the other hand the male respondents showed their thrill, interest and liking towards these violent films as per the findings. Also the findings revealed that the male respondents had a mixed reaction in terms of favouring the making of these violent films. The study attempts to establish the complex relationships between entertainment, censorship and societal well-being, with an aim to put forth recommendations before the cinema industry stakeholders and policymakers