‘Peddi’ director shocked by criticism over Janhvi Kapoor’s hypersexualisation in ‘Peddi’
Director Buchi Babu Sana has said that he did not expect the reaction to the Peddi scenes featuring Janhvi Kapoor’s character. Her comments echo widespread criticism that the film’s romance track has normalized harassment and non-consent.
pedi Director Buchi Babu Sana has said that some parts of the film did not work as he intended, adding that he was shocked by the strong reaction to actor Janhvi Kapoor’s portrayal of the character. The response, he said, has inspired him to reconsider how he would approach female characters in the future.
in conversation with ScreenBuchi said, “I didn’t anticipate that the scenes would be viewed so negatively by the audience.” He further added, “The idea was to show a playful romance story between Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor. However, we will be more careful and represent better.” Criticism was mainly directed at the film’s romance track involving Kapoor’s character, Achiamma.
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Peddi is a sports drama based in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh and is built around unnamed villages and their battle for identity and identity. ram charan plays pediA cricketer-for-hire hails from one of these unnamed settlements, and his journey forms the emotional core of the film. By most accounts, the second part fulfills that ambition, but the first part, especially the romance track, was heavily criticized.
Objections centered on how Achiyamma is introduced and how the relationship develops on screen. His character is introduced through a sequence in which the camera pans over his body for several minutes without showing his face. In the courtship that follows, the hero tells his friends that he will touch Achiyamma without her consent, enter her space and do so, and later when she slaps him, tells her that the attack was her way of expressing her love. The sequence then ends with her kissing him, and no one suffers any consequences.
Audiences argued that what the film presented as a playful romance was, in reality, a scene-by-scene normalization of harassment, non-consent and the idea that a woman’s objection is a barrier rather than a limitation. The criticism spread beyond the Telugu film audience and became a widespread issue of discussion.
India Today, in its review of the film, wrote, “The film’s biggest problem, however, is neither technical nor narrative. It is Janhvi Kapoor’s character. The issue is not just that the romantic track feels disconnected from the central story. The issue is how the character is conceived and presented. Almost every scene featuring her seems to be built around objectification rather than character development.”
pedi Released theatrically on June 4, 2026.