Peddi, Ram Charan’s sports film directed by Buchi Babu Sana, opened to positive numbers on its first day. But the conversation around the film has been dominated by something else entirely — the treatment of Janhvi Kapoor’s character, and a viral Instagram like that has drawn Kapoor herself into the debate.
A screenshot circulating widely shows Janhvi Kapoor having liked an Instagram post that describes her role in Peddi as “the most expensive disrespect to an actress.” The post criticises the filmmakers for excessive shots of Kapoor’s midriff and back, calling it an obsession with her physicality over her performance, and makes the broader argument that while actresses are often blamed for the roles they accept, industry-wide practices are the actual driver of such portrayals.
Kapoor has not commented publicly on the film’s reception. The Instagram like is the closest thing to a statement she has made.
What Viewers Are Objecting To
The backlash centres on two specific moments in the film, per Zoom TV’s report. The first is Ram Charan’s character’s introduction of Kapoor’s character — described by viewers as objectifying, with the male lead characterising her physical appearance in derogatory terms. The second is a sequence in which Ram Charan’s character forcibly kisses Kapoor’s character despite her repeated objections. Both scenes have been widely condemned on social media, with users questioning both the director’s choices and the lead actors’ comfort with such sequences.
Reports indicate Kapoor raised concerns about certain shots during post-production — a detail that, if accurate, complicates any reading of the situation as a straightforward case of an actress accepting problematic material without reservation.
The comparison to director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s previously stated views on female representation in films — that close-ups of women’s bodies are a way to force audience engagement — has been made by several social media commentators, though Peddi is directed by Buchi Babu Sana, not Vanga.
The Divided Response
The audience reaction has not been monolithic. Some viewers have defended Kapoor directly, arguing that she is a talented actress being poorly utilised and that the responsibility lies with the filmmakers. Others have criticised her for accepting the role, arguing that stars at her level have enough leverage to shape or decline projects that reduce them to physicality. The debate reflects a wider conversation about where responsibility sits in these situations — with individual actors, directors, producers, or with an industry culture that normalises certain kinds of female representation.
Peddi itself has been positioned as a multi-sport drama — Ram Charan plays a character who finds identity through cricket, wrestling, and athletics — with Shiva Rajkumar and Janhvi Kapoor in supporting and lead roles respectively. The film’s opening day was strong, suggesting the controversy has not significantly dented its commercial performance. Whether it affects the film’s longer run is yet to be seen.
The Broader Context
Janhvi Kapoor has spoken publicly in recent years about the industry’s tendency to over-sexualise women and about wanting to be valued for her craft rather than her appearance. The gap between that stated position and the film she is now at the centre of is the thing audiences are grappling with — and the Instagram like suggests she is grappling with it too.
What Kapoor does next, and how she addresses this publicly if she chooses to, will be as closely watched as the film’s second-weekend numbers.
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