Ram Charan has reacted to the criticism surrounding Peddi, saying the film’s success belongs to the audience regardless of what was said about it. The actor addressed the controversy at the film’s success event
in Hyderabad, where he thanked viewers for supporting the movie despite the debate around Janhvi Kapoor’s character.
Peddi, directed by Buchi Babu Sana and starring Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor, has earned over Rs 332 crore worldwide and emerged as the highest-grossing Telugu film of the year. The film’s box office success came even as it faced criticism over the way Janhvi’s character was portrayed.
Speaking at the event, Ram Charan chose to focus on the audience response rather than the controversy. Referring to the film’s strong run, he said, “I remember a dialogue from the Tagore movie. Telugu people don’t like anyone that easily, but once they do, they love them till death. Much like that, no matter who said what and no matter what reviews were written…this film is truly not ours, it belongs to the audience.”
He also thanked critics and reviewers for watching the film and sharing their opinions. “I still thank everyone from big channels to small reviewers from the bottom of my heart,” the actor added.
The backlash centred on Janhvi Kapoor’s character, Achiyyamma. Viewers criticised several scenes, claiming the character was over-sexualised. The controversy later prompted a response from director Buchi Babu Sana, who admitted the scenes did not have the intended impact on viewers. “I had not anticipated that the scenes would be perceived so negatively by audiences,” Buchi told SCREEN.
Explaining the team’s intention, he added, “The idea was to showcase a playful romance story between Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor. However, we’ll be more careful and make better representations.”
Following the criticism, the makers removed the scenes that drew objections. New footage was later added to the film’s theatrical version. Despite the controversy, Peddi has continued to perform strongly at the box office. The film has also given Ram Charan a major commercial success after the disappointing response to Game Changer and Acharya.
