How the messaging in Zoya Akhtar & Netflix's 'The Archies' trumps the misogyny in Ranbir Kapoor's 'Animal' | Explained

Zoya Akhtar had the most remarkable debut as a filmmaker with Luck By Chance, which turns 15 next month. She has a sharp (and stylish) eye for Bollywood, dysfunctional families (Dil Dhadakne Do), music (Gully Boy), friendship (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara), and nostalgia (The Archie comics). Her latest directorial has directly streamed on Netflix- The Archies.

It marks the acting debut of Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan, Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda, Sridevi’s daughter Khushi Kapoor, and actors like Dot and Vedang Raina. For anyone who’s aware of the world of the Archie comics, breathing them to life may not have been easy for the team; it’s about a group of friends in the 60s, it’s about the refreshing Riverdale, deforestation, dreams, conflicts, and chaos.

The expected and immediate hate it received upon release was always coming. The questions on nepotism and privilege flooded X by X, Y, Z, and multiple nameless and faceless creatures. Barring a few constructive pieces of criticism, the discourse around _The Archies_ was largely personal and driven by hate. The narrative of Akhtar’s film still trumps the perverse that Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s blockbuster _Animal_ reeks of.

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Both the films have come scrutiny and radar for different reasons, but Akhtar’s is a take on greed and the conflicts it creates, whereas Vanga’s is a lusty ode to violence and perverse.

Messaging vs Misogyny

The Archies comes at a time when Hindi cinema audiences are consumed by violence and blood, suspension of disbelief and stories too. The historic success of Pathaan, Jawan, Gadar 2, and now _Animal_ proves how the momentum is likely to continue in 2024 too. Amid the pandemonium, comes a film that has a sugar-coated sweetness to it. Characters here don’t attack or bleed, they dance and smile, dance and dazzle, and even confront when needed but with a tinge of restrain. Beneath the fluff and floss, there’s a message about childhood and callousness that Akhtar packages.

Animal feels more like a statement to all those who had issues with Vanga’s previous blockbuster Kabir Singh. He wanted to show the world what a violent film meant, so he did what he aspired to. The filmmaker revels in making his central characters maul each other’s bodies and souls, he’s gratified by the stench of blood and the dirt of toxicity. And when box-office screams, the man howls, both in interviews and on social media.

The Archies in many ways could just be a reminder of how a film that steers clear of everything that’s working today was the need of the hour.