3 min readMumbaiJun 5, 2026 04:23 PM IST
Ever since the release of the sports drama Peddi, the film has faced criticism on social media over the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor’s character Achiyamma. Many viewers have accused the film of objectifying her, with several online discussions questioning the way the character has been written and presented on screen. Some have also criticized Janhvi for taking up a role that, according to them, caters heavily to the male gaze.
‘I’m not okay with sexualising someone’
Amid the ongoing debate, it is worth revisiting Janhvi Kapoor’s own comments from a few months ago, when she spoke about the impact of being oversexualised by filmmakers and the importance of consent in the creative process. “I think at any and every stage, it’s important to ask yourself, what did I consent to? So, for example, I did a song called ‘Bheegi Saree’ (in Param Sundari) where I’m in a wet saree, and I’m dancing pretty sensually. The idea for that was, I wouldn’t say to titillate, but it was a sensual song. I think if someone looked at that and said, I’m not attracted to this chick, I would feel maybe offended. But that’s very different from sexualising someone, especially without their consent. That, in any and every form, I’m not okay with. And that does bother me,” Janhvi told Raj Shamani.
The actor also said that she is gradually becoming more comfortable asserting her boundaries on film sets, particularly when it comes to camera angles she is not comfortable with. “If a DOP puts a camera on some place that I’m not okay with, I should be able to say, nahi, ye nahi chalega mujhe nahi chahiye (no, I don’t want this) without me seeming unprofessional. Dheere, dheere haan. (Yes, slowly). Sometimes I’ve been polite, and I’ve been like, I need to pick my battles and I’ll fight them. But now, I’m a little bit like, mera jugaad nikaal dungi (I’ll find a solution). I’ll make my point clear someway or the other, but it’s important for me to seem polite.”
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‘I have only gone on Buchi Babu Sana’s conviction’
Interestingly, while promoting Peddi, Janhvi Kapoor spoke about the process of shaping her character under director Buchi Babu Sana’s guidance, crediting him for many of the character’s distinctive mannerisms. “I have only gone on his (Buchi Babu Sana, director) conviction, to be very honest. Ye mujhe hatke directions dete the ki jeeb ke saath ye karo, skirt ke saath ye karo, aise baath karo. Ye character ka jo andaaz hai, vo tevar hai, vo bohot hatke hai, bothot atrangi hai. (He used to give me out-of-the-box directions to move my tongue like this or skirt like that and talk like this. This character’s mannerisms are unique and colourful).”
She further stressed that her performance was largely shaped by the filmmaker’s vision, saying, “When you review the film. Jo bhi maine kiya, aap inka naam lijiye. (Take his name while talking about my acting).”
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