Deconstructing Ranvijay Singh’s Character in Animal through Alfred Adler’s Theory of the Inferiority Complex Traditions

Abstract

 This paper examines Ranvijay Singh, the protagonist of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal (2023), through Alfred Adler’s Inferiority Complex theory, which centers on how childhood emotional neglect shapes his destructive behavior. Ranvijay’s strained relationship with his distant father fosters profound inadequacy. This navigates compensatory acts of violence and dominance, as looked in his aggressive confrontations and patriarchal control over family. Adler’s concepts of striving for superiority and fictional final goals which explains Ranvijay’s hyper-aggressive persona as a mask for vulnerability, which is not inherently cruel. This analysis reveals how unresolved inferiority isolates him, which explores Adler’s notion of social interest and that strains familial bonds. Situating the film within Indian cinema’s contemporary trends, the paper studies repression leads to aggressive behaviour. In the paper applying, Adlerian psychology, it tries to uncover how Ranvijay’s destructive path highlights broader societal issues. It supports for therapeutic approaches embedded in Adler’s principles to address such behaviours, which promotes authentic self-worth over harmful compensation. This analysis combines psychoanalytic theory and film studies, which provide crucial insights into character motivation and cultural narratives.