When Karan Johar asked whether the criticism was justified, Janhvi Kapoor explained why she had initially hesitated to address the controversy.
“The reason I was so apprehensive to talk about it was that many people worked very hard on that film. I really didn’t know what to say or if there was anything really to say. But it’s important that I take ownership of my half of whatever that fiasco was because it weighs heavily on my conscience, the sort of negative impact a narrative like that can have on our society, specific to my gender. And I think that shame I’ll always carry with me,” she said.
The actress acknowledged that she could have spoken up more strongly against the portrayal. “Could I have done more? Could I have been more vigilant? Could I have made a bigger scene? A hundred percent, yes. Was it problematic? Was it extreme objectification? Did it even propagate sexual assault narratively? Yes. But the only thing I can do is to ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” she added.
Janhvi, who also starred in Devara, further explained the challenges she faced while trying to navigate the situation during filming. Reflecting on her experience, she admitted that she had repeatedly questioned whether she should have taken a stronger stand.
“I feel like I went through the same thing, really beating myself up. I should have been more vigilant. I should have made a bigger scene. And again, I don’t like saying this because it sounds like I’m shifting blame, but you know, it’s like, I feel like a director jo bhi bolta hai, professional hona hai, director ki baat sunni. So I was really navigating how to make things less problematic as best I thought, as and when information was becoming available to me. In the South, there very rarely is a bound script. And very rarely in those scripts do you see where the camera angles are,” the actress said.
She also spoke about her position in the industry and the responsibility that comes with it. “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 because I’m gonna get the shit for being privileged anyway. So I might as well have leveraged it, right?” she added.
Janhvi Kapoor Calls Her Peddi Experience ‘Violating’
During the conversation, Karan Johar asked Janhvi whether she felt disappointed with the director or believed the situation had unfolded unintentionally. In response, the actress explained that discussing the matter remained difficult for her.
“No, I feel like, God, I really get so conscious when I speak about this because I don’t want to sound like I’m trying to be the victim. I mean, it was a violating experience in a way. I feel like both of you all have sort of been with me through the beats of me trying to articulate this discomfort throughout the course of shooting, even post-production. But anyway, that doesn’t matter,” she said.
Janhvi concluded by reflecting on a possible positive outcome of the controversy, expressing hope that it would encourage greater consideration of how female lead characters are presented on screen.
“I think the good thing that came out of all of this is that maybe tomorrow someone else will think twice before they present a lead actress this way. I’m glad because tomorrow if someone else says, you know what? I don’t know if I’m fully comfortable with this, maybe they won’t be looked at like a crazy person,” she concluded.
For the unversed, Peddi stars Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor in the lead roles. Director Buchi Babu Sana faced significant criticism over Janhvi’s costumes and camera angles in the film. Following the controversy, the director reportedly apologised, and the objectionable shots were removed from the film.
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