Don’t you like item songs? Peddi lyricist says you’re an ‘item’
As the debate over Peddi’s dance number Hellelo continues to rage online, lyricist Ananth Sriram has now responded to the criticism. Speaking at the film’s success function, he defended the song and the creative choice of the makers.
pedi Lyricist Ananth Sriram recently spoke on the ongoing debate regarding the film’s dance numbers. hello and Janhvi Kapoor’s portrayal of the character, Achiamma. Since the release of the Ram Charan-starrer, discussions about the song and the character have been intense on social media, with many viewers questioning his portrayal on screen.
While critics argued that Achiyamma lacked narrative agency and parts of the film veered into objectivity, Sriram pushed back against the criticism, defending both the lyrics and director Butchi Babu Sana’s creative choices.
❮❯
Speaking at the film’s success event on Sunday, Sriram was asked about the criticism facing the song and the portrayal of women in the film. Responding to the debate, he said, “For people who enjoy item songs, these songs are like a special dish. For people who don’t enjoy them, they are item songs.” The comment immediately attracted attention online, with many social media users criticizing the statement and calling it problematic.
Here is the video:
The lyricist also argued that criticism should be clear and specific rather than driven by emotions. “If there are allegations, they should be specific. We don’t have to respond to people who scream out of mere emotion or speak with a hidden agenda,” he said, adding another layer to the ongoing conversation around the film.
Supporting Buchi Babu Sana, Sriram suggested that the controversy has turned into a larger debate about artistic freedom and creative expression. According to him, a character behaves a certain way because he or she is the director’s imagination, and filmmakers should be given the freedom to portray characters without excessive restrictions.
He also questioned whether the increasing pressure of social media was limiting creativity, asking, “If a director is not even given the freedom to portray a character in this way, what have we done to creativity?”
Sriram’s comments come after Buchi Babu Sana publicly apologized to audiences who were uncomfortable with Achiamma’s portrayal and announced that changes would be made in certain parts of the film.
Despite online discussion, pedi Has continued its strong performance in theatres. The film stars Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor in lead roles along with Boman Irani, Divyendu and Jagapathi Babu.