Peddi reignites the South Indian cinema conversation about how women are written
The Times of India traces backlash around Janhvi Kapoor's role in Peddi into a wider debate about female characters in Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam commercial cinema.
Read the original article on The Times of India →
Peddi did well at the box office, but the online conversation quickly moved past ticket sales. The Times of India reports viewers questioning how Janhvi Kapoor's character Achiyyamma functions in a Ram Charan-led commercial film, and whether she exists mainly to support the male protagonist's arc.
Director Buchi Babu Sana responded publicly to the criticism, according to the piece, acknowledging feedback and saying changes would be made to portions that drew pushback.
The article widens the lens beyond one release. Similar debates have followed Pushpa, Kanguva, and other high-profile South Indian projects where female roles, songs, and camera choices became part of the criticism.
Ashika Ranganath's social media defense of Kapoor is quoted in the coverage, arguing that underwritten roles reflect system and writing choices more than individual actresses.
The Times of India also contrasts that commercial tension with Malayalam cinema's track record on character-driven women's stories, citing recent examples where women carry narrative weight without leaning on glamour alone.
For diaspora viewers who consume South Indian film across languages, the pattern is familiar: blockbuster economics and representation arguments arrive in the same feed.
The Peddi moment is less about one performance than about whether audiences will keep asking for better writing now that they can amplify criticism instantly. Read the Times of India for the full chain of reactions and film references.
