Peddi Director Buchi Babu Promises New Edit Of Film Without Oversexualising Janhvi Kapoor

Following intense public backlash regarding the portrayal of female lead Janhvi Kapoor, Peddi director Buchi Babu Sana has officially broken his silence. Addressing the wave of online criticism that has mounted since the film’s theatrical release on June 4, 2026, the filmmaker issued a formal apology and promised that a newly edited version of the rural sports drama will be rolled out to remove the controversial sequences.

The backlash primarily stems from the first half of the film, where Janhvi Kapoor’s character, Achiyyamma, is introduced via camera angles that viewers argued heavily objectified her. Audiences and critics alike also flags a romance track between the lead pair that appeared to normalize stalking and non-consensual behavior. While lead actors Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor have remained quiet on the issue, the directorial team has confirmed they are taking the audience’s discomfort very seriously.

Directorial Apology: “Cinema Should Never Make Anyone Uncomfortable”

Taking to his official account on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday morning, Buchi Babu Sana shared a comprehensive statement acknowledging the public’s sentiments. “As a filmmaker, I believe cinema should entertain, inspire, and connect with audiences. It should never make anyone feel uncomfortable or disrespected,” he wrote. He added that the team has heard the negative feedback regarding specific scenes in Peddi and is treating it as an immediate priority for rectification.

The director firmly asserted that his creative team never intended to cross any lines of decency. “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 apologize,” his statement continued. He reiterated a commitment to mindful storytelling that celebrates strong characters while upholding dignity.

Inside the ‘Peddi’ Portrayal Controversy

• The Criticism: Viewers called out an introductory sequence that focused entirely on Janhvi Kapoor’s body, alongside a courtship narrative that depicted crossing boundaries of physical consent as a form of romance.
• The Narrative Context: Film critics argued that the hypersexualized romance track felt out of place and actively disrupted the movie’s main emotional storyline.
• The Solution: The production team is actively trimming and re-editing the problematic sequences from the active theatrical reel.

Visual Intent Versus Final Execution

Speaking later in an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, the National Award-winning director admitted that he did not foresee the romance arc causing such widespread offense. He explained that the initial creative vision was merely to showcase a “playful romance story” between the characters played by Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor. However, he conceded that the final onscreen execution failed to convey that lightheartedness appropriately, promising to exercise far greater caution and sensitivity in his future cinematic representations.

Despite the heavy socio-cultural scrutiny on social media, the film’s box office run remains strong. Peddi brought in a massive global opening, crossing a worldwide gross collection of 150 crore rupees by its second day. While the director has guaranteed that changes are being implemented to clean up the movie’s problematic portions, the production house has yet to reveal a definitive timeline for when the cleaner, updated edit will officially replace the prints currently running in theaters.