Janhvi Kapoor has addressed the controversy surrounding Peddi, acknowledging that she could have done more to prevent the problematic portrayal of her character. The actor opened up about the issue while appearing on Koffee With Karan Season 9 alongside Varun Dhawan.
During the conversation, host Karan Johar asked Janhvi about the controversy, which sparked a debate over the sexualisation and objectification of her character in the sports drama directed by Buchi Babu Sana and starring Ram Charan.
Karan said, “So, what happened with the Peddi controversy? I know it really affected you in more ways than one because I spoke to you on the day it happened. There are two ways of looking at it. One, there was a lot of sympathy that there has been a sexualisation to her portrayal of this character. And the other, there was a section saying, “But she was on that set. Why didn’t she stop it?” And what did you feel?”
Responding to the question, Janhvi said she had been hesitant to speak about the issue because several people had worked hard on the film. However, she also acknowledged the concerns surrounding the portrayal of her character.
“I felt many things, Karan. I feel the reason I was so apprehensive to talk about it was that many people worked very hard on that film. And I really didn’t know what to say or if there was anything really to say even.”
The actor went on to take responsibility for her part in the controversy, saying the impact such portrayals can have on society, particularly on women, continued to weigh on her conscience.
“Because it’s important that I take ownership for my half of whatever that fiasco was, because it weighs heavily on my conscience, the sort of negative impact a narrative like that can have on our society. Specific to my gender, right? And I think that shame I’ll always carry with me.”
Janhvi also admitted that she could have been more proactive in raising concerns about the scenes.
“Could I have done more? Could I have been more vigilant? Could I have made a bigger scene? A hundred per cent, yes. Was it problematic? Was it extreme objectification? Did it even propagate sexual assault narratively? Yes. But yeah, I mean, the only thing I can do is to ensure that doesn’t happen again.”
She further explained that actors often find themselves in situations where they feel obliged to follow a director’s instructions.
“And again, I don’t like saying this because it sounds like I’m shifting blame. But you know what it’s like: you feel like whatever the director says, you have to be professional. You have to listen to the director.”
The actor also pointed out that scripts do not always provide a complete picture of how a scene will eventually appear on screen, including the camera angles used during filming. She said she had tried to address concerns as and when she became aware of them.
“So I was really navigating how to make things less problematic, as best I thought, as and when information was becoming available to me. Because you know this, I can just say that very rarely is there a bound script. And very rarely in those scripts do you see where the camera angles are.”
Janhvi concluded by acknowledging that her position as a privileged actor could have allowed her to speak up more forcefully.
“But having said that, I need to also take responsibility for my half of it. I do come from a place of privilege. I should have taken advantage of that because I’m going to get the shit for being privileged anyway. So I might as well have leveraged it.”
Janhvi Kapoor talk about her controversy in Peddi movie at Koffee With Karan show https://t.co/a4NAoBIVUD
— Filmy_Duniya (@ayaanpanda1) October 28, 2026
What Was The Peddi Controversy?
The controversy surrounding Peddi centres on the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor’s character, Achiyamma, with several viewers raising concerns about the sexualisation and objectification of her role. The film’s treatment of the character also prompted criticism over whether certain scenes appeared to normalise or propagate sexual assault.
Director Buchi Babu Sana subsequently issued a public apology, stating that the team had no intention of disrespecting or objectifying female characters. The controversial scenes were also removed or edited in the theatrical cut.
