Adil Hussain Says OTT Success Lets Him Turn Down Films Like Animal

• Adil Hussain said earnings from OTT and mainstream projects have given him the financial freedom to reject films that conflict with his personal values.
• The actor reiterated that he would not accept a film like *Animal*, even for a reported fee of Rs 100 crore to Rs 200 crore.
• Hussain has continued to express regret over appearing in *Kabir Singh*, calling the film misogynistic and saying he signed it without reading the script.
• Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga previously responded by accusing Hussain of valuing money over passion and claiming *Kabir Singh* benefited the actor’s career.
• Hussain later defended his body of work by citing collaborations with internationally acclaimed filmmakers Mira Nair and Ang Lee.

Adil Hussain has said that financial stability from OTT and mainstream acting projects has given him the freedom to reject films that do not align with his personal values, reiterating that he would not agree to work in a film like Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal even for a fee of Rs 100 crore to Rs 200 crore.

Speaking to Screen, Hussain said he considers himself fortunate to have consistently received work across multiple languages, countries and platforms, allowing him to be selective about the projects he accepts.

“I’m one of the luckiest actors who’ve been offered roles from different parts of the country and the world, and from the mainstream genre as well,” he said. Referring to his upcoming OTT projects, Hussain added that he was “paid really well” for Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar and the series Musafir Cafe, while noting that his earnings may still be modest compared with some leading actors. He said he has structured his life in a way that enables him to sustain himself without accepting every commercially attractive offer.

Hussain also said that income from larger productions helps support his work in independent cinema, where projects may offer greater creative satisfaction but lower financial returns.

The actor’s latest remarks continue a public stance he first outlined during an appearance on the AP Podcast, where he revealed that Kabir Singh was the only film he accepted without reading the complete script. He later described the film as misogynistic and accused it of glorifying violence, adding that he left a screening after about 20 minutes and regretted being associated with the project.

His comments prompted a sharp response from Animal director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who wrote on X that Hussain’s “greed is bigger than his passion.” Vanga also said he regretted knowing the actor, claimed Kabir Singh had contributed more to Hussain’s career than his independent films, and suggested he could replace the actor’s face using artificial intelligence.

Hussain subsequently responded in an interview with India Today, questioning whether filmmakers such as Mira Nair, who directed him in The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee, who cast him in Life of Pi, were somehow less significant than Vanga.

The actor is set for several upcoming releases, including the independent film Max, Min & Meowzaki, the Netflix series Musafir Cafe, and Operation Safed Sagar, in which he portrays Air Marshal Vinod Patney.