Peddi: Delays Already Frustrating, Another Mistake Now?

Ram Charan’s much anticipated film Peddi is now unlikely to meet its originally expected April 30 release date, as production delays continue to affect the schedule. A key reason behind the delay is a pending special song shoot, which remains incomplete despite the set being ready. The makers have not yet finalized the actress for this song, forcing the shoot to be postponed to next week.

At present, Ram Charan has travelled to Jamnagar to attend the birthday celebrations of Anant Ambani. Before leaving, he reportedly asked the team to finalize the heroine for the special song by the time he returns. Meanwhile, director Buchi Babu Sana is in Chennai, working closely with AR Rahman on the film’s background score.

On the production front, producer Venkata Satish Kilaru is in discussions with Netflix representatives regarding a revised OTT release date. Industry sources suggest that clarity on both the shooting schedule and the new release plan may emerge by the end of this week.

In recent days, speculation around the special “mass” song has intensified. Initially, the team considered casting Mrunal Thakur for the number, raising expectations among fans. However, she is now not doing the song for reasons unknown.

In a surprising turn, the makers reportedly have now chosen Manasa Varanasi, the winner of Miss India 2020, for the song. Known for her recent performance in Santosh Sobhan’s Couple Friendly, Manasa gained attention for her performance despite the film not achieving much commercial success. Her acting received appreciation; however her screen presence did not rely heavily on glamour. Hence there are doubts whether she can justify an item song like Pooja Hegde, Samantha, or Kajal Agarwal.

Some fans argue that Mrunal Thakur, with her established popularity and strong fan base, would have brought greater sex and mass appeal to the song. In contrast, Manasa is still in the early stages of her career and has not yet been associated with high glamour roles. Her portrayal in previous films leaned more toward grounded, middle-class characters rather than bold and raunchy appearances.

Fans typically expect a certain star value for such numbers, especially in a tier-1 star like Ram Charan film. Director Buchi Babu Sana appears to be deliberately taking a different route, potentially prioritizing freshness over popularity.

Whether this gamble pays off remains to be seen.