At Animal's Japan premiere, Ranbir Kapoor says he was scared to accept Vanga's film

Ranbir Kapoor and director Sandeep Reddy Vanga are all set for the premiere of their film, Animal, in Japan. The two interacted with the media ahead of the release and discussed the sequel, Animal Park, which will go on floors next year. Ranbir also opened up about how he was scared to accept the 2023 blockbuster film since it had him playing a never-seen-before role.

The actor credited the director for trusting him with the role of Ranvijay Singh. He said until Animal, he could be seen playing a lover-boy or a young man in coming-of-age dramas. "But when Sandeep narrated Animal to me, I found the character extremely scary to approach as an actor. But his confidence instilled confidence in me, too. I think Ranvijay is someone who's protective, he's volatile, he's deeply emotional, and he'll take extreme measures to protect his family, and I think that's an emotion that we can connect with any part of the world," he said.

The director, who was present at the event, went on to share how he managed to convince Ranbir to say yes to Animal. He said that given the actor's previous characters, it was a new perspective for him, too. And when he narrated the film, he could see Ranbir being "really scared" and wondering how he would play it. "It took a while for me, after the first narration, to give him the bound script, and only then did we get a complete yes to go ahead," he said.

The actor, who will be seen playing Lord Ram in his next, recalled his first meeting with Vanga and expressed admiration for his previous work. He said it's rare to find a connection with someone right from their first meeting. "I connected with what he was trying to say through the story. It may seem like a very intense, action, bloodied film, but I think the core emotion -- the father-son emotion -- was something that a lot of men of my generation... we grew up with that distance from our father. So I think I really connected with that deep emotion. And to my good fortune, it is one of the most treasured and memorable collaborations I have had with a director in my career," the actor explained.

Vanga also opened up on what it meant to work with Ranbir. He emphasised that he always loved and admired the actor's performances and wanted to work with him. "I was very glad and fortunate that I got the chance to direct him in my second [Hindi] film. When I had started writing about this kid who can go to any extent for his father, I always imagined Ranbir to be the right fit for the story," he said.

At the same event, Kapoor recounted his grandfather, late legendary actor Raj Kapoor's legacy. He said his grandfather was a revered figure in Japan. The 43-year-old also said in a light-hearted tone that he would like to bring his daughter, Raha, to visit the country someday.