Body for the lens: Singer Sumangaly slams Peddi makers for hypersexualising Janhvi

Singer Sumangaly Ariyanayagam on Friday criticised the makers of Peddi for what she called the hypersexualisation of Janhvi Kapoor’s character in the film. In an Instagram story, she said the makers had built a story around the trauma of powerlessness, but denied that same dignity to Kapoor’s role, Achiyamma.

Her remarks come as the sports drama, headlined by Ram Charan, faces growing criticism on social media over the way Achiyamma has been written and filmed by director Buchi Babu Sana. The backlash has focused on objectification, the handling of consent in the love track, and viral screenshots that appeared to show Kapoor liking a post attacking the film’s treatment of her character.

In her Instagram story, Sumangaly wrote, “A room full of powerful men sat down to write a story about the trauma of being powerless. In the same breath, they turned Janhvi Kapoor’s character into a body for the lens, a prop for a forced kiss, and a tool to be thrown away when the songs ended.”

She ended the post by saying, “They knew exactly what human dignity meant. They just decided she didn’t deserve it (sic).”

Why the film is being criticised

Since its premiere, Peddi has drawn criticism for the way Achiyamma is treated on screen, even as Ram Charan’s character is given a larger sociopolitical arc. An Instagram page Recommendation Community recently shared a post titled, “Peddi: the most expensive disrespect ever paid to a leading woman in Indian cinema (sic).”

The post said the film condemns the denial of human identity as a systemic evil, while denying Achiyamma that same humanity. It also argued that while Ram gets a sociopolitical crusade, Janhvi gets a midriff close-up.

The same post cited reports saying Kapoor had questioned such shots during post-production, in line with her recent public stance against the oversexualisation of women. It said she drew a professional line, but the final edit kept the footage. Kapoor did not comment on the post, but users claimed she had liked it. Screenshots of the alleged like went viral, though it is not visible on the post now.

Much of the criticism has also centred on the film’s love track. Viewers have objected to scenes in which Peddi says he wants to touch Achiyamma without her consent because she would never agree to love him, and her father would never agree to their marriage. He later kisses her without consent during a power cut. When Achiyamma cries, another male character asks her to forget it for the sake of her father’s political career.

Many viewers have said these actions amount to assault, especially because another character is treated as a villain for violating her in a different scene.

In its review, India Today said the film’s biggest problem was Janhvi Kapoor’s character. A part of the review read, "The film's biggest problem, however, is neither technical nor narrative. It is Janhvi Kapoor's character. The issue is not simply that the romantic track feels disconnected from the central story. The issue is how the character is conceived and presented. Nearly every scene featuring her seems designed around objectification rather than character development."

Peddi released in theatres on June 4.