Janhvi Kapoor has cleared this controversy pediAdmitting that she could have done more to prevent the problematic portrayal of her character. The actor spoke about the issue while appearing on Koffee With Karan Season 9 with Varun Dhawan.

During the conversation, host Karan Johar asked Janhvi about the controversy, which sparked a debate over the sexualization and purpose of her character in the Buchi Babu Sana-directed sports drama and Ram Charan starrer.

Karan said, “So, what happened with the pedi controversy? I know it affected you in more ways than one because I spoke to you the day it happened. There are two ways of looking at it. One, the character was very sympathetic to his character having sex. And secondly, there was a part, which was on set, but that. Why didn’t he stop it?” And what did you feel?”

In response to the question, Janhvi said that she was reluctant to speak on the issue as many people had worked hard on the film. However, he also acknowledged concerns surrounding his portrayal of the character.

“I felt a lot of things, Karan. I think I was too scared to talk about it because so many people had worked so hard on that film. And I didn’t really know what to say or if there was really anything to say.”

The actor took responsibility for his role in the controversy, saying the impact such images can have on society, especially women, continued to weigh on his conscience.

“Because it’s important that I take ownership of my half that was a failure, because it weighs heavily on my conscience, the kind of negative impact that kind of narrative can have on our society. Specific to my gender, right? And I think I’ll carry the shame with me forever.”

Janhvi also admitted that she could have been more proactive in raising concerns about the scenes.

“Could I have done more? Could I have been more vigilant? Could I have made a bigger scene? One hundred percent, yes. Was it a problem? Was it too objective? Did it also promote the narrative of sexual assault? Yes. But yes, I mean, all I can do is make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

He further explained that actors often find themselves in situations where they feel compelled to follow the director’s instructions.

“And again, I don’t like saying that because it looks like I’m shifting the blame. But you know how it is: You feel like whatever the director says, you have to be professional. You have to listen to the director.”

The actor also pointed out that scripts don’t always provide a complete picture of how a scene will ultimately look on screen, including the camera angles used during filming. He said he had tried to address concerns as and when he became aware of them.

“So I was really navigating how to make things less problematic, as I thought best, as and when the information was becoming available to me. Because you know, I can say that very rarely is there a bound script. And very rarely in those scripts do you see where the camera angles are.”

Janhvi concluded by admitting that her status as a privileged actress would have allowed her to speak out more forcefully.

“But having said that, I need to take responsibility for half of it as well. I come from a place of privilege. I should have taken advantage of it because I should have been at a loss to have any kind of privilege. So I might as well take advantage of it.”

Janhvi Kapoor talks about her Pedi movie controversy on Koffee With Karan https://t.co/a4NAoBIVUD

— film_world (@yaanpanda1) October 28, 2026

what was pedi Controversy?

Scope of the controversy pedi Janhvi Kapoor’s portrayal of the character, Achiyamma, led many viewers to raise concerns about the sexualization and objectification of her role. The film’s treatment of the character also drew criticism over whether some scenes appeared to normalize or promote sexual assault.

Director Buchi Babu Sana later issued a public apology, saying that the team had no intention of disrespecting or objectifying the female characters. Dramatic cuts also removed or edited out controversial scenes.

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