Speaking to SCREEN, Buchi Babu Sana acknowledged the criticism, saying, “I had not anticipated that the scenes would be perceived so negatively by audiences.” He admitted that those portions did not work the way he had planned.
The director explained that the intention behind Janhvi Kapoor’s track was to present a light and playful love story between her character Achiyyamma and Ram Charan’s Peddi. “The idea was to showcase a playful romance story between Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor,” he said.
However, he accepted that the execution missed the mark and promised to do better. “We’ll be more careful and make better representations.”
Why Are Janhvi Kapoor’s Scenes Getting Criticised?
Several viewers have accused the makers of objectifying ‘s character, reducing her to a glamour element. One widely shared criticism highlighted a scene where Peddi compliments Achiyamma’s eyes and lips, but the visuals cut to shots of her chest and waist. Another scene where a goon shames Janhvi’s character in public was also called out for poor writing and problematic heroism.
Janhvi Kapoor in Peddi
This is not the first time Buchi Babu Sana has faced such questions. His debut film Uppena (2021), featuring a then 17-year-old Krithi Shetty, drew some criticism over how the hero’s obsessive pursuit of her character was framed.
Peddi Takes Bumper Opening
Despite the controversy, Peddi has delivered one of the biggest openings of 2026. The film collected a massive Rs 69.50 crore in India on its opening day, including paid previews, making it the highest opening Telugu film of 2026 so far.
The Telugu version led the charge with Rs 47.20 crore, while the Hindi version added Rs 3 crore. Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam versions contributed the remaining collections.
Peddi revolves around the story of nameless villages fighting for identity and recognition. Ram Charan plays Peddi, a cricketer-for-hire from one of these unrecognised settlements, whose journey forms the emotional core of the film. Janhvi Kapoor plays his love interest Achiyyamma, while the supporting cast includes Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, Divyenndu, Vijay Sethupathi, Boman Irani, and Prakash Raj in key roles.