Why ‘Peddi’ Became a Big Deal for Janhvi

A massive discussion took place around the portrayal of actress Janhvi Kapoor’s character in the movie 'Peddi'. During her recent appearance on 'Koffee With Karan' with Varun Dhawan, she opened up about the criticism for objectifying her character in the sports drama.

Instead of dismissing the criticism or avoiding the discussion, Janhvi chose to have a different perspective. She spoke about how the talk surrounding her character might now lead to greater sensitivity towards actresses who express discomfort with certain aspects of their portrayal.

“I’m glad it became such a big deal, my portrayal in 'Peddi', so maybe next time an actress says she’s uncomfortable, they won’t look at her like an alien," shared Janhvi.

Speaking on the subject, Jahnvi revealed that she was a little hesitant to address the issue as many people had worked hard on the project.

“I really didn’t know what to say or if there was anything really to even say because it’s important that I take ownership from my half of…whatever that fiasco was because it weighs heavily on my conscience the sort of negative impact and a narrative like that can have on our society, specific to my gender,” the 'Dhadak' actress penned.

Janhvi admitted to carrying the shame over the potential impact of this on society. She added that she realises that she could have been a bit more vigilant.

"Could have I 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,” she said.

The 'Mili' actress said she had repeatedly questioned herself if she should have objected more firmly during the shoot of the drama.

“Again, I don’t like saying this because it sounds like I am shifting blame but you know how it’s like, ‘Yes, whatever the director says, you have to be professional, you have to listen to the director.’ So, I was really navigating how to make things less problematic as best I thought, as and when information was becoming available to me,” she said.