Peddi lyricist reacts to Buchi Babu Sana's apology following Janhvi Kapoor role criticism

Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor's latest release, Peddi, helmed by Buchi Babu Sana, has been the talk of the town ever since its release in cinemas on June 4. The role of Janhvi Kapoor drew criticism from a section of viewers online, leading to the director issuing an apology. However, the controversy has taken a new turn after the lyricist of the film has reacted to the apology.

What did the lyricist of Peddi say?

During the success meet of the film, the makers of Peddi addressed the media. During the interaction, when Buchi Babu Sana was asked about the decision to apologise, lyricist Anantha Sriram openly reacted to it. He stated, "A character behaves the same way; that is the director's imagination. It is a character created with that imagination."

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He further said, "Here, the one who can speak English is great. The way of thinking of PhDs and graduates is the right one and is increasing. Those who are vocal on social media and those who are trolling by throwing out words they speak are being influenced by their opinions. Apart from that, if a director is not even given the freedom to behave like this, what have we done to creativity?"

Questioning the criticism directed at the film's portrayal of romance and attraction. He said. "That is, if you use big words like 'vital attraction', 'hormonal reactions', etc., it is called ‘awesome’ as if it is done very aesthetically. If the hero speaks his tribal language and says, 'I will touch you, it is called vulgarity; they say that he looked at you like an object. If you do all this, it is like trampling on creativity. Buchi Babu would have apologised with great politeness, with the intention of hurting someone's feelings, or else he would have apologised with the intention of not hurting anyone."

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“He may have apologised with the intention of saying that democracy is not 49:51 but 99:1, but if it continues like this, then we will not be able to make a great point in commercial films, except in documentary films in the first place,” he said.

All about Peddi controversy

The controversy surrounding the Ram Charan starrer Peddi stemmed from the alleged objectification of Janhvi Kapoor's character Achiyyamma and, in addition, the non-consensual kissing scene in the first part of the film. The movie faced massive social media backlash, forcing director Buchi Babu Sana to apologise and edit out the controversial scenes.

Also Read: Peddi row: Director Buchi Babu Sana accepts 'few shots turned misleading'; removes controversial Janhvi Kapoor scenes

Moreover, the deliberate camera angles focusing on Janhvi Kapoor's waist, navel and body rather than the emotional context of the scenes led to outrage amongst netizens. The treatment of female leads in the commercial cinema led to discussion of whether the actors should bear the responsibility for accepting such roles or not.

Also Read: Peddi row: Why Janhvi Kapoor’s hypersexualisation and the post-release fix feel like a calculated marketing move

Celebrities like Kangana Ranaut and Nithya Menen, among others, also gave their views on the ongoing controversy. Despite the backlash, the movie has minted great numbers at the box office. So far, Peddi's net collection in India is Rs 216.03 crore, while the gross collection in India is Rs 256.26 crore.