The fact that Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies has seen more Netflix views than Ranbir Kapoor's sexist toxic masculinity symbol Animal may come as a welcome surprise to the anti-fans of Ranbir.
The humorous story of two women who unintentionally switch places at a train station after their wedding, Laapataa Ladies, was released on March 1 in theatres and on Netflix thereafter. Firstpost reports that the Aamir Khan film has received 13.8 million views on the streaming service. On the other hand, Sandeep Reddy Vanga's worldwide hit Animal received 13.6 million views on Netflix within its first three weeks of release before falling out of the top 10 in the fourth week.
Since its OTT debut, Laapataa Ladies, starring Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, Nitanshi Goel, and Ravi Kishan in the key characters, has received a warm reception, especially in the UK. Laapataa Ladies has received accolades from both reviewers and viewers for its complex representation of relationships and its unconventional approach to partnerships. The film's captivating storyline and character depth have struck an emotional chord with the audience.
One audience member said, “It’s become very popular in the UK. All my local friends loved it. They have only watched movies like Bahubali. So proud when they talk about Laapataa Ladies.” Echoing similar sentiments, another user noted, “This movie deserves all the attention.”
While Animal stars Bollywood's biggest star Ranbir Kapoor, who can attract audiences with just his face, the action-drama generated a contentious discussion on its glorification of destructive behaviour. Ranbir, however, defended the movie's concepts, saying that the characters were meant to spark conversation and debate.