Ever since the release of Peddi, the Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor film has been facing intense criticism over its portrayal of women and the hypersexualisation of its female lead. Amid the controversy, actor Dimple Hayathi, who works in Telugu and Tamil films, has now come in support of Janhvi and urged viewers to hold the system accountable.
Dimple Hayathi supports Janhvi
Taking to her X account, Dimple wrote, “I’m so glad today on this day we all are speaking about how actresses roles are being written and the instinctive response to blame actress after doing what she was offered, dont blame the actress blame the system and makers who really think that’s what sells .. and we actors get to work within the opportunities what we get trying to make it big and hoping we would be working in bigger films and reach wider audiences. If the characters are underwritten the responsibility lies more with writing and filmmaking choices than woman playing the role.”
‘We deserve better experiences’
She added, “Unfortunately we are stereotyped by image which and how things unfold with characters that we play without getting the opportunity to showcase our full potential to perform, whereas when the hero centered stories takeover the liberty to project. What we see is what we believe unfortunately. No body knows what gets into filmmaking it’s not under one persons choice but we all can unanimously make a point that we deserve better experiences and better filmmaking.”
The row around Peddi
Meanwhile, Janhvi’s fan clubs shared screenshots of text messages purportedly sent by Janhvi to them. The messages appeared to suggest that she had raised concerns on multiple occasions about how certain scenes featuring her character were being filmed.
On Saturday, director Buchi Babu Sana released a statement addressing the controversy surrounding Peddi. “As a filmmaker, I believe cinema should entertain, inspire, and connect with audiences. It should never make anyone feel uncomfortable or disrespected,” he wrote.
He acknowledged the criticism directed at certain portions of the film and apologised to viewers who felt uncomfortable. “If any part of the film has been perceived that way, we respect those sentiments, understand the concerns being raised, and sincerely apologise,” he added. The filmmaker also noted that cinema evolves alongside audiences and that storytellers must remain mindful of changing perspectives and sensitivities.
Peddi has shown a strong hold at the box office despite this controversy. The film has collected ₹126 crore net in India and over ₹190 crore worldwide.