Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga has revealed that the final version of Animal seen by audiences wasn’t exactly the one he had originally intended. Speaking about the film’s release journey, Vanga admitted that he had to cut out seven minutes from the film just a few days before it hit theatres, due to pressure over its runtime.
The original edit of Animal was around 3 hours and 45 minutes long. Vanga later trimmed it to 3 hours and 30 minutes, which he considered his preferred cut. But with only a week to go before release, further edits were made, reducing the film to 3 hours and 24 minutes. Although the movie became a major box office success, earning over ₹550 crore in India alone, Vanga still regrets not presenting the version he believed in most, as per reports.
The film received widespread acclaim for its emotional depth, stylised action, and powerful performances. Ranbir Kapoor earned praise from critics and audiences for his intense performance in the lead role. Bobby Deol witnessed a strong comeback as well due to his arresting performance, and Triptii Dimri had a lot of attention for her multi-layered and understated performance.
Vanga initially intended to reinstate the cut scenes from Animal in the Netflix version of the film. When Animal was released on the platform, it was the same as the theatrical cut, with no additional cut footage added back in. This disappointed many viewers who were anticipating a director’s cut with more depth and detail added back in.
Looking forward, Animal Park is the sequel currently in development and planned for a 2027 release. It was previously claimed that the sequel would be darker and more intense than the original film, so that buzz has begun. Vanga is believed to have more latitude this time, and fans are banking on him delivering his entire vision without compromise at the last minute.
