After the release of Toxic, some people on social media are questioning the silence of the so-called selective feminism groups who strongly outraged against Peddi over the way Janhvi Kapoor’s character was presented.
Their argument is simple: why were people so vocal about Buchi Babu Sana’s Peddi, but are now silent about Toxic, even though it also has women in glamorous and sexually charged situations?
Some are even saying that the difference is because Peddi was directed by a man, while Toxic was directed by a woman, Geetu Mohandas.
But this comparison completely misses the actual issue.
The backlash against Peddi was never simply about Janhvi Kapoor’s waist, navel or glamorous presentation. The bigger problem was the way Ram Charan’s character behaved towards her throughout the film.
He repeatedly leched over her, stalked her and obsessively pursued her. The biggest flashpoint was the controversial scene where his character kisses her without consent. What made the scene even more problematic for many viewers was that the film later presented the behavior as a romantic moment instead of treating it as a serious violation. Also, Janhvi’s character was essentially reduced to a sexual object for the hero, while the film continued to present the hero as a savior despite his behavior.
And that is where Toxic is completely different.
The women in Toxic are deeply connected to the criminal world of the story. They have their own roles, motivations and contributions to the narrative. Yes, Toxic has violence, glamour, sexual innuendo and morally questionable characters. But that is the world the film is deliberately presenting. It is a story about criminals and morally corrupt people. The women are not being presented as innocent women whose only purpose is to be ogled at by the hero.
More importantly, Peddi was promoted as a mainstream commercial film with strong family appeal. Ram Charan even urged families to take their children to the film to get inspired. Toxic, on the other hand, was openly presented as an adult-oriented film. Yash himself had warned parents against bringing children to theatres because of the nature of the content.
The real issue is how women are written, how they are treated by the characters and what the film is trying to communicate through those portrayals. Simply comparing the amount of glamour or sexuality on screen ignores all of that.
That distinction is exactly why comparing Buchi Babu Sana’s Peddi with Geetu Mohandas’ Toxic makes very little sense.
