Pushpa: The Rise star Allu Arjun on Friday said he was blown away by the “cinematic brilliance” of ‘Animal’ and praised the protagonist Ranbir Kapoor for his inspiring performance in the action drama.

Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the film earned Rs 563.3 crore gross at the worldwide box office in the first week of its release, the makers said.

In a lengthy post on X, Arjun congratulated the cast and crew of ‘Animal‘, describing the movie as one to have joined “the classics of Indian Cinema List”, PTI reported from New Delhi.

“#Animal. Just mind-blowing. Blown away by the cinematic brilliance. Congratulations! # Ranbir Kapoor ji just took Indian cinema performances to a whole new level. Very Inspiring. I am truly at a loss for words to explain the magic you’ve created. My deep Respects to the highest level,” the National Award-winning actor wrote on the microblogging site.

Arjun said Vanga had “exceeded all cinematic limitations”.

“The intensity is unmatchable. You made us all proud once again. I can see how your films are going to change the face of Indian cinema now and in the future!” he added.

Animal was released on December 1 in theatres in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. It also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor, and Triptii Dimri.

Arjun lauded the performance of the entire Animal cast and wrote: “@iamRashmika Brilliant & Magnetic! Dear this is your best performance by far & much more to unfold. The Deol Ji’s impactful performance silences us. Your Terrific presence commands respect. @AnilKapoor Ji’s was effortless & intense. Your experience speaks volumes, sir.”

“This young lady @tripti_dimri23 is breaking hearts. May you break more! All the other artists & technicians showcased their finest best. Congratulations!” he added in the post.

While it is running successfully in theatres, a section of critics and viewers have slammed ‘Animal’, calling it misogynistic and graphically violent.

The pan-India movie, which was given A certificate by the CBFC ahead of its release, showcases a violent world set against the backdrop of a troubled relationship between Ranbir Kapoor’s Ranvijay Singh and his father Balbir Singh, played by Anil Kapoor.

Animal is produced by Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar’s T-Series, Murad Khetani’s Cine1 Studios, and Pranay Reddy Vanga’s Bhadrakali Pictures