Ram Charan’s Peddi continues to dominate the box office, but the controversies surrounding the film refuse to fade away. After facing backlash over the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor’s character Achiyamma, the film has now landed in another controversy, this time involving tribal organizations.
Soon after the film’s release, sections of the audience and women’s groups objected to certain scenes and the alleged oversexualization of Janhvi’s character. The backlash gained momentum on social media, eventually prompting director Buchi Babu Sana to respond. The filmmaker apologized to those who felt hurt and reportedly made changes to some scenes in the theatrical version.
Just when that issue appeared to be settling down, a new controversy emerged. Several Adivasi organizations have alleged that Peddi contains dialogues, words, and character references that are disrespectful toward tribal communities. According to them, certain terms used in the film are offensive and derogatory. They argue that such portrayals misrepresent tribal culture and reinforce negative stereotypes about Adivasi people.
The organizations have reportedly submitted formal complaints to the District Collector and Superintendent of Police in Vizianagaram. They claim the film contains multiple references that insult tribal communities and have demanded action against those responsible. Some groups have also questioned how such content received clearance from the CBFC, arguing that the certification process should have identified these issues before release.
One scene in particular has become part of the discussion surrounding the controversy. In the film, Ram Charan’s character forcefully kisses Janhvi Kapoor’s character without her consent. Later, the character reportedly justifies his actions by saying that because he is uneducated and comes from a tribal background, he expresses love through physical affection rather than through letters, gifts, or other conventional means.
While tribal organizations have not publicly detailed every specific objection, some observers believe scenes and dialogues of this nature may have contributed to the backlash, as they could be interpreted as linking problematic behavior to tribal identity and culture.
The controversy has now escalated further, with tribal representatives reportedly demanding that cases be registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act if the content is found to be insulting toward tribal communities.
As of now, the Peddi team has not issued any response to the latest allegations.
