Photo: Gabriel Hutchinson / WikiPortraits, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Janhvi Kapoor has broken her silence on the controversy surrounding her portrayal in the film Peddi, telling Koffee With Karan that the depiction amounted to extreme objectification and that she should have spoken up more forcefully during filming, according to Pinkvilla and Filmfare.
Kapoor's character, Achiyamma, in the sports drama starring Ram Charan and directed by Buchi Babu Sana, faced backlash from viewers over its sexualised portrayal. Speaking on the latest episode of Koffee With Karan Season 9, which aired on Wednesday evening, she said the criticism weighed heavily on her conscience.
"The reason I was so apprehensive to talk about it was that many people worked very hard on that film," she said, according to Pinkvilla's transcript. "But it's important that I take ownership of 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. And I think that shame I'll always carry with me."
Asked whether she could have done more, Kapoor answered directly. "Could I have done more? Could I have been more vigilant? Could I have made a bigger scene? A hundred percent, yes. Was it problematic? Was it extreme objectification? Did it even propagate sexual assault narratively? Yes," she said, according to Filmfare. She described the experience as violating in a way, according to other coverage of the episode.
Kapoor also explained the production constraints she faced. According to The Daily Jagran, she said actors in South Indian productions rarely receive bound scripts or see camera angles in advance, and feel pressure to follow directors' instructions. She said she tried to make scenes less problematic as more information became available to her.
The controversy is not new, but Kapoor's comments update the record. According to Particle News, director Buchi Babu Sana previously apologised on X for the scenes audiences found objectionable, and the filmmakers issued a revised theatrical cut that removed the contested material.
What happens next may reach beyond one film. Kapoor's admission could drive calls for clearer set practices, greater transparency on scripts and camera plans, and stronger safeguards for actors' consent and agency during shoots. Her closing point was forward-looking: the only thing she can do now, she said, is ensure it does not happen again.