Janhvi Kapoor is defending her controversial role in the film “Peddi”, following intense backlash over her hyper-sexualised portrayal that ultimately forced the director to alter scenes.
During a recent interaction, Kapoor stated she placed absolute trust in filmmaker Buchi Babu Sana, who won a National Film Award for his 2021 Telugu debut “Uppena”.
Despite the online uproar, the actress emphasised that she walked away from the set with a collection of deeply cherished stories that she hopes to pass down to her children one day.
“The director obviously gets the final word because he is the one who says cut. And especially when it is a director like Buchi Babu Sana, who has a track record of making such amazing, rooted work like ‘Uppena’,” Kapoor said.
Asked to name a specific scene she took pride in, Kapoor highlighted her character's introduction sequence. “I think in my entry scene in ‘Peddi’, I was so nervous because it was a departure from all the characters I'd played. I wondered, will I be able to pull it off? But when I see the scene now, I think it's pretty cool,” she said.
Tasked with delivering critical monologues in the film to large crowds in Telugu, a language she does not natively speak, the actress not just executed the scenes seamlessly but also maintained a flawless on-screen presence.
Also read: Ram Charan's 'Peddi' earns Rs 135 crore on day one
“When I delivered my monologue, everyone in the crowd started clapping. I think even they were surprised that I'd mugged up the lines and performed them. So that was a very tangible, visual validation," she said.
Janhvi’s mother, the late superstar Sridevi, had a glorious five-decade long career across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema. Growing up under Sridevi's massive cinematic legacy, Janhvi was constantly inspired by captivating stories from her mother’s iconic career, a collection of memories she now views as a priceless creative treasure trove.
“I've grown up on stories of my mother saying, ‘Oh, I shot this rain song with a 104 fever' or ‘danced until my feet bled.' I've always glorified that work ethic and tried to stick by it,” she said.
“I've collected some such stories of myself now that I'll be happy to pass on to my kids,” Janhvi added.
In “Peddi”, Telugu superstar Ram Charan plays the titular role while Janhvi plays his romantic interest Achiyyamma. The filmmakers faced major criticism for controversial scenes in which Peddi forcefully kisses Achiyyamma and later presents it as romance.
Following the furore, the director apologised and said the objectionable scenes would be removed. Meanwhile, the film continues to rule the box office.
Follow us
