Peddi director Buchi Babu Sana on Janhvi Kapoor's hypersexualization: ‘Had not anticipated such a negative reaction’

THe package power impulse for ram down Charan’s extremely anticipated sports drama, Peddi, is being met with an equally intense wave of online debate. While the film is drawing massive crowds, public discourse has largely shifted toward how its female lead is written, with audiences raising sharp questions about the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor’s character, Achiyyamma. In response to the mounting criticism, director Buchi Babu Sana has stepped forward to address the pushback. He candidly admitted that he never anticipated moviegoers would take such strong issue with the film's central romantic track.(Also Read: Peddi: Hero assaults heroine but Buchi Babu Sana insists on calling it ‘romance’ in Ram Charan-Janhvi Kapoor film)Director reacts to audience criticismSpeaking to SCREEN, the filmmaker admitted that the heavy criticism directed at the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor’s character and the romance between Achiyyamma and Peddi, played by Ram Charan, caught him completely off guard. "I had not anticipated that the scenes would be perceived so negatively by audiences," the filmmaker said.The director explained that the creative team's original vision for the relationship was drastically different from the troubling way it translated on screen. Rather than causing discomfort, the initial goal was simply to deliver a playful romance story between Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor.However, Buchi Babu pledged to handle these dynamics with far more sensitivity, promising, "We'll be more careful and make better representations."Why the film’s romance track became controversialThe introduction of Janhvi Kapoor’s character, Achiyyamma, immediately sets a troubling tone for how she is viewed within the story. The first time Ram's character sees her, the camera pans across her body for several minutes. She is instantly reduced to a silhouette, a collection of curves, something to be looked at and presented purely as an object of desire.Peddi, played by Ram Charan, shows no regard for her boundaries, telling his friends openly that he wants to touch Achiyyamma without her consent. He admits that she will never agree to love him, and her father will never agree to their marriage. Instead of accepting this, he decides to simply take what he wants, using the cover of a power cut to force a kiss upon her. Achiyyamma does not want it, and she cries, yet her pain is instantly sidelined by the men around her, who pressure her to stay silent, telling her to forget about it for the sake of her father's political career.A sports drama with much bigger ambitionsPeddi centres on Peddi (Ram Charan), a gifted athlete who uses sport as a way to bring recognition and pride to his village. Set in the villages of Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram region, the film explores themes of identity, ambition and community pride.The film also features Shiva Rajkumar and Jagapathi Babu in pivotal roles. The project is produced by Venkata Satish Kilaru under Vriddhi Cinemas, co-produced by Ishan Saksena under IVY Entertainment, and presented by Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings.