Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor's latest release Peddi has found itself at the centre of an unexpected controversy just hours after hitting cinemas. While the sports drama has generated conversation among audiences, much of the online debate is not focused on the storyline or performances. Instead, viewers are questioning the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor's character, Achiyamma, with many arguing that the role contributes little to the narrative and is largely defined through the lens of male desire.
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Why Are Viewers Criticising Janhvi Kapoor's Role In Peddi?
A significant portion of the backlash centres on the way Achiyamma has been written and presented on screen. Many viewers believe the character lacks depth and purpose, despite being one of the film's principal figures.
Social media users have pointed to several scenes they found troubling, arguing that the camera repeatedly focuses on Janhvi Kapoor's body rather than her character's emotions, motivations or role in the narrative.
Several viewers also questioned whether the film normalises problematic behaviour through its depiction of interactions involving the female lead.
Social Media Reactions Continue To Pour In
As discussions intensified online, numerous users shared detailed criticisms of the film.
One user wrote, "A goon undresses #JanhviKapoor in public to shame her amid election campaign #Dibyendu starts laughing, enjoying #RamCharan is sexually lusting over her all the time and is called the hero of the village."
Another user expressed frustration over what they viewed as a recurring trend in cinema, writing, "It's high time they stop sexualising heroines in films. Literally there's a scene where hero describes her face but they show her waist and chest."
A separate comment criticised the character's lack of substance saying, "the heroine deserved a character. Instead she got a string of vulgar, degrading, objectifying scenes stitched together and called a role. It ain't bold.. it ain't glamorous.. it's just poor & cringe writing.. a complete embarrassment to every women in the audience.."
One viewer, talking about a specific sequence that they found particularly problematic said, "In one scene from #Peddi, #RamCharan compliments #JanhviKapoor. He describes her eyes, scene then cuts to show her breasts. He describes her lips, then cuts to show her waist. To Editor, are you really that clueless that you don't know what eyes & lips are?"
The criticism did not stop there. Another viewer questioned the decision-making behind the scene itself. He said, "Director’s sensibilities aside, what happened to the lead actors’ sensibilities when it came to that sequence. It’s very bizarre."
Referencing comments previously made by filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga, another user wrote, "SRV (Sandeep Reddy Vanga) once said that close-ups on a woman’s body parts are a director’s way of forcing the audience to stare and feel something. Now look at #Peddi. It’s exactly that."
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Scenes At The Centre Of The Debate
Several online discussions have focused on scenes involving Achiyamma's introduction and subsequent interactions with Peddi.
Viewers have criticised moments where the character's physical appearance is emphasised, arguing that the camera repeatedly prioritises visual framing over character development.
Dialogue attributed to Peddi has also become a talking point among audiences, particularly lines that many users interpreted as reducing the female lead to her physical attributes rather than treating her as a fully realised character.