Vivek Agnihotri defends his ‘alter ego’ Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s anti-women filmmaking style

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri recently spoke up in support of fellow director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, calling him a bold voice in the film industry who isn’t afraid to tell stories his own way.

While Vanga has often been criticised for promoting toxic masculinity in his films, Vivek feels that the real issue people have with Vanga is not his content, but his success.

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Speaking candidly, Agnihotri described Vanga as his “alter ego” in Bollywood. “He’s fearless, just like me,” Vivek said. “People accuse him of showing toxic masculinity, but he’s simply telling the truth as he sees it. Is our society really so respectful towards women? He is only holding up a mirror.”

Vanga, who gained attention (and controversy) for his films ‘Arjun Reddy’, ‘Kabir Singh’, and most recently ‘Animal’, has faced heavy backlash for the way his male characters behave. But Vivek thinks that criticism is just a part of being honest in storytelling.

He also addressed a common question filmmakers face: why not show both sides of the story? Using his own film ‘The Kashmir Files’ as an example, Agnihotri explained, “People asked me why I didn’t show the other side. How can I? Why would I show the story from a terrorist’s point of view when I don’t even understand their thinking? You can only tell the story that you know.”

Also Read: Internet roils as Anurag Kashyap praises Sandeep Reddy Vanga

He even brought up legendary director Shekhar Kapur’s ‘Bandit Queen’, which was told from the perspective of Phoolan Devi, a rebel. “Even he was questioned back then,” Vivek said. “But over time, people understood that it was an important story to tell.”

Agnihotri clarified that he wasn’t blindly supporting Vanga or everything he says, but defending his right as a storyteller.

“He’s telling stories from his point of view. And the people who are criticising him, they’re also using their right to express. That’s fine. But in the end, he’s the one laughing all the way to the bank.”

He concluded: “People don’t really have a problem with what he’s showing on screen. They have a problem because he’s successful. If his films weren’t hits, no one would care. The real issue is; they’re working. He’s delivering blockbusters. That’s what’s bothering everyone.”