Animal: Nitesh Bhardwaj on Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Animal’: I would be worried if more such films are made

In the realm of Indian entertainment, few names evoke as much reverence as Nitish Bhardwaj, the versatile actor known for his portrayal of iconic characters. The actor recently sat with ETimes delved on the deep connection with the divine roles he has embodied, and his take on modern day cinema as well as censorship.

Here are the excerpts from the conversation:

Exploring depths of the characters

Nitish shares, “Lord Krishna and Bhagwan Parshuram are the characters I felt most connected to.” However, he offers a fascinating perspective, stating, “Mahabharat is not mythology; it is history.” This nuanced outlook sets the tone for a conversation that transcends the conventional boundaries of mythological storytelling.

Reflecting on his impactful portrayal of Krishna in Mahabharat, Nitish emphasizes, “Life changes by following the lord’s virtues and his Geeta in difficult situations.” The actor reveals how he applies the teachings of Geeta to navigate life’s challenges, evolving into a better person with each experience.

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Journey beyond mythology

Contrary to assumptions, Nitish sheds light on his desire to play Abhimanyu in the serial, stating, “It was the young blood that sought Abhimanyu’s role, but the lord executed his master plan.” Post-Mahabharat, he delved into films but admits, “My decision to go to London at the peak of my popularity proved to be wrong.”

Looking ahead, Nitish expresses his cinematic aspirations, stating, “As a filmmaker, I will do historical and period films because I am madly in love with the history of Bharat and her heroes and heroines.”

Further, commenting on cinema and censorship, especially in the context of OTT platforms, Nitish supports the need for regulation. He points out, “Don’t know why detailed censorship structure for OTT is still not in place just recently Netflix had to withdraw a show because Hindu sentiments were hurt this causes loss of money to the platforms a regulatory mechanism can give directives.”


The conversation takes a thought-provoking turn when discussing the trend of violent films like Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Animal.’ Nitish expresses concern, stating, “Action can be in Veer Rasa too but the film is an expression of Bibhastsa Rasa. In action as well as dialogues and behaviour. I would be worried if more such films are made and they are successful. I could not sit beyond the interval, in spite of being an ardent fan of Ranbir’s acting prowess.”

“I think this where i would link it to OTT productions continuous use of cuss words in web series over the years has kind of legitimised the Vikriti in man and the audience seems to be enjoying it now because they are desensitised to its impact then it will soon show its effects elsewhere in the society,” he concludes.