Ranbir Kapoor’s latest action thriller Animal has set the box office on fire, collecting a whopping Rs 563 crore globally in its first week of release. The film, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who previously helmed the blockbuster Kabir Singh, has received mixed reviews from critics but has been embraced by the masses.

Animal, which also stars Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna and Tripti Dimri, revolves around the revenge saga of Ranvijay “Vijay” Singh, who learns about an assassination attempt on his father Balbir Singh by a gangster named Haque and his brothers. Vijay sets out to exact vengeance on them, while also dealing with his turbulent relationship with his childhood love Geetanjali “Geeta” Iyengar.

The film opened with a bang on December 1, 2023, earning Rs 63.8 crore on its first day in India, making it the second-highest opening day collection of the year, after Salman Khan’s Tiger 3. The film also performed well in the overseas markets, especially in North America, where it collected $3.5 million on its second day

Animal continued its strong run over the weekend, crossing the Rs 200 crore mark in India and the Rs 400 crore mark worldwide by Sunday. The film also broke several records, such as becoming the fourth Bollywood film to earn over Rs 100 crore on its first day at the global box office, the sixth highest-grossing Indian film of 2023, the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of 2023, the 19th highest-grossing Indian film of all time, and the highest-grossing A (adults only) rated Indian film of all time³⁴

With a runtime of 201 minutes (3 hours 21 minutes), Animal is one of the longest Indian films ever made. The film has been praised for its action sequences, performances, music and editing, but has also been criticized for its excessive violence, misogyny, length and lack of originality. The film has music composed by JAM8, Vishal Mishra, Jaani, Manan Bhardwaj, Shreyas Puranik, Ashim Kemson and Harshwardhan Rameshwar, cinematography by Amit Roy and editing by Sandeep Reddy Vanga himself.

Animal is expected to maintain its momentum in the coming days, as it faces no major competition at the box office. The film has also been released on OTT platforms with a 30-minute extended version, which includes some deleted scenes and a surprise cameo by Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor’s real-life girlfriend. The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Murad Khetani and Pranay Reddy Vanga under T-Series Films, Bhadrakali Pictures and Cine1 Studios, and distributed by AA Films, E4 Entertainment, Sri Venkateswara Creations and KVN Productions.