Amid backlash, Ram Charan watches Peddi with Buchi Babu Sana in theatre, internet questions his accountability

On Sunday, Ram Charan paid a surprise visit to Hyderabad's Prasads Multiplex, where he joined fans and moviegoers to watch Peddi.

Ever since Peddi released in theatres, the Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor starrer has found itself at the centre of a heated debate over its portrayal of women, with several viewers calling out the film for the hypersexualisation of its female lead. Amid the ongoing backlash, Ram Charan recently watched the film with director Buchi Babu Sana, a move that has further fuelled online discussions.

Peddi has been doing well at the box office, despite the backlash.

While the actor's gesture was seen by some as a show of support for the film, a section of social media users criticised the outing, arguing that it overlooked the concerns being raised about the film's depiction of women.

Ram Charan watches Peddi in theatre

On Sunday, Ram paid a surprise visit to Hyderabad's Prasads Multiplex, where he joined fans and moviegoers to watch Peddi. Having largely stayed away from public appearances since the film's release, Ram finally stepped out on Sunday to witness the audience's response firsthand.

The actor joined a houseful screening at the multiplex, soaking in the excitement and energy of fans as they watched Peddi on the big screen. He watched the film with director Buchi Babu Sana and producer Venkata Satish Kilaru.

As videos from the actor's visit surfaced online, they quickly sparked a debate surrounding Peddi. A section of social media users questioned the actor's accountability amid the growing criticism over the film's portrayal and hypersexualisation of its female lead.

One comment read, “Being the one that actually said most of this misogynistic dialogues, why isn’t Ram Charan held as accountable and hated as much as Janhvi?”, with another reading, “You're expecting people to criticize the male lead with the same energy they criticise the actress? Now that's ambitious.”

“It's ironic how always when such scenes go viral the s**tshaming and blame is always thrown on the female. Tripti was getting hate for doing intimate scenes in Animal but not Ranbir... Nora for that song but not Sanjay Dutt who acted in the same video. And now this. If you want to blame Jhanvi then the blame lies with scriptwriter, director and actors like Ram Charan as well,” wrote another.

One social media user shared, “Normalise calling out men for their participation in these films/scenes/songs. #ShameOnRamCharan should've been the hashtag that should have trended once the film released.”

“Jhanvi is not a victim either, but singling out her is not right,” one wrote. Another shared, “Yes! Hold him accountable n Also make him apologise”. “Accountability is behind his goggles under his popcorn,” said one social media user sarcastically.

One comment read, “You guys are quick to attack the female while not holding the males accountable who just as much contributed to the pages on paper and the final execution.”

About the Peddi row

Following the film's release, several viewers raised concerns over the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor's character, Achiyyamma. Critics and fans argued that her introduction emphasises her physical appearance rather than her personality or role in the story. Another sequence that sparked debate features Peddi (Ram Charan) pursuing a romantic relationship with Achiyyamma despite her apparent disinterest, culminating in a kiss without her consent.

Following the controversy over the hypersexualisation of her character in the film, several fan clubs of the actor shared screenshots of text messages that were purportedly sent by Janhvi to them. The messages appeared to suggest that she had repeatedly raised concerns about the way certain scenes featuring her character were being filmed.

Following the backlash, director Buchi Babu Sana issued an apology on X and acknowledged the concerns raised by audiences. A part of his statement read, "I have always had immense respect for women, both on and off screen, and it was never our intention to objectify or disrespect any female character. If any part of the film has been perceived that way, we respect those sentiments, understand the concerns being raised, and sincerely apologise. After reviewing the feedback, we have decided to make changes to the concerned portions."

Despite the backlash, Peddi continues to perform strongly at the box office. The film has collected over ₹150 crore net in India. It also stars Boman Irani, Divyenndu and Shiva Rajkumar in key roles.