Long before ‘Peddi’ sparked a debate about how women are represented on screen, Janhvi Kapoor had already put her position on record. In an April interview on Raj Shamani’s podcast, the actor spoke with striking clarity about consent, over-sexualisation, and her evolving confidence in asserting boundaries on film sets. Those remarks, largely noted at the time, have now gone viral resurfacing with fresh urgency as the makers of ‘Peddi’ face mounting criticism over the presentation of her character, Achiyyamma, and what many viewers are calling the film’s objectifying gaze.
What did Janhvi Kapoor say about consent and se*ualisation on screen?
In the April interview, Janhvi drew a careful and considered distinction between sensuality that she has actively agreed to and se*ualisation that occurs without her knowledge or approval, making clear that only one of those is acceptable to her.“I think at any and every stage, it’s important to ask yourself, what did I consent to? For example, I did a song called ‘Bheegi Saree’ (in ‘Param Sundari’) where I’m in a wet saree, and I’m dancing pretty sensually. The idea for that was, I wouldn’t say to titillate, but it was a sensual song,” Kapoor clarified.Kapoor drew a distinction stating, “I think if someone looked at that and said, I’m not attracted to this chick, I would maybe feel offended. But that’s very different from sexualising someone, especially without their consent. That, in any and every form, I’m not okay with. And that does bother me.”
Janhvi Kapoor on asserting boundaries with directors and cinematographers on set
Beyond the broader question of consent, Janhvi also spoke about the more granular, on-set reality of an actress trying to maintain agency over how she is filmed and the professional risk that comes with speaking up.The actor revealed that she has been actively working on her confidence to object when a director of photography places the camera at an angle that makes her uncomfortable, without being labelled difficult or unprofessional in an industry that does not always welcome such pushback from its female talent.While she acknowledged that she has often defaulted to politeness and strategic silence, carefully choosing which battles to fight, Kapoor said she has grown more willing to voice her discomfort and ensure it is genuinely heard, while remaining professional in how she does so.
Janhvi Kapoor on industry bias and casting
In the same conversation, Janhvi Kapoor spoke candidly about the broader structural pressures that shape what roles are offered to actresses in the first place and how public appetite, as perceived by filmmakers, directly influences casting decisions. She revealed that there is an industry expectation for audiences to first encounter a heroine in a glamorous or overtly physical avatar within a filmmaker’s own body of work, and that what viewers appear to respond to about an actress frequently determines the kind of projects she is subsequently considered for.
More about ‘Peddi’ and the backlash it has courted
‘Peddi’ is Janhvi Kapoor’s most recent release, in which she stars alongside Ram Charan as a character named Achiyyamma. The film has triggered significant controversy, with critics and audiences alleging that the presentation of her character amounts to objectification and that the film’s visual treatment of Achiyyamma prioritises the male gaze over any meaningful characterisation. The backlash has prompted a wider conversation about representation, consent, and the responsibilities of filmmakers toward the female actors in their productions, a conversation that Kapoor’s resurfaced interview has now gained traction.Released on June 4, ‘Peddi’ is a sports action drama, directed by Buchi Babu Sana starring Ram Charan in the titular role with Shiva Rajkumar, Janhvi Kapoor, Jagapathi Babu, Divyenndu Sharma, Boman Irani and Ravi Kishan in pivotal roles. The music has been composed by A. R Rahman.
More about Janhvi Kapoor
Janhvi Kapoor made her acting debut in Karan Johar’s ‘Dhadak’ in 2018 and has steadily expanded her range across a diverse body of work, from the biographical ‘Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl’ and the horror comedy ‘Roohi’ to the survival thriller ‘Mili’, the spy drama ‘Ulajh’, and the sports romance ‘Mr. & Mrs. Mahi.’Most recently, she earned some of the strongest critical notices of her career for her performance in ‘Homebound’, directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, in which she played a lower-caste woman navigating social discrimination, a role that was widely regarded as a significant growth as a performer.