Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor has admitted that she could have done more to prevent the objectification of her character in Peddi, taking responsibility for her part in the controversy surrounding the film.
The actress spoke about the issue while appearing on Koffee With Karan Season 9 alongside actor Varun Dhawan. During the conversation, host Karan Johar asked her about the backlash over the portrayal of her character, Achiyamma, in the sports drama directed by Buchi Babu Sana and starring Ram Charan.
Responding to the criticism, Janhvi said the issue continued to weigh on her conscience and admitted that the film’s portrayal of her character could have been handled differently.
“…It weighs heavily on my conscience the sort of negative impact a narrative like that can have our society. Specific to my gender. That shame I will always carry with me. Could I have done more? Could I have been more vigilant? 100% yes. Was it problematic, was it extreme objectification? Did it even propagate sexual assault narratively? Yes. But the only thing I can do is ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” she said.
“And yeah, I don’t like saying this because it sounds like i am shifting blame but it’s like you listen to the director and what he says. I was navigating how to make things less problematic as and when information was becoming available to me because you know this, I can just say that very rarely is there a bound script. And very rarely in those scripts do you see where the camera angles are. In the south, very rarely there is a bound script. very rarely do u see where the camera angles are,” she added.
Janhvi further said that she should have made better use of the position she holds in the industry to raise concerns about the portrayal of her character.
“But having said that, I need to also take responsibility for my half of it. I do come from a place of privilege. I should have taken advantage of that… So I might as well have leveraged it.”
The controversy around Peddi followed criticism from viewers who felt that Achiyamma’s character was presented in a way that focused too much on her sexuality. Some also raised concerns about whether certain scenes appeared to promote or normalise sexual assault.
Director Buchi Babu Sana later issued a public apology, saying the team had no intention of disrespecting or objectifying women. The scenes that drew criticism were also removed or edited in the theatrical version of the film.
Source: Khaleej Times