If Lust Stories 3 Is Bold, Then Why Was Peddi Attacked?

Ram Charan fans are once again bringing Peddi into the discussion around Lust Stories 3. Some social media users are asking why scenes in Lust Stories 3 are being called bold and creative, while the same people had objected to the treatment of women in Peddi. On the surface, this may look like a double standard. But the two situations are not really the same.

The backlash around Peddi was not simply about Janhvi Kapoor looking sexy or showing her waist and navel. The bigger issue was the behavior of Ram Charan’s character towards her. He repeatedly stares at her, follows her, and aggressively pursues her. The most controversial scene was when he kissed her without her consent.

The problem became bigger because the film appeared to present this behavior as part of a romantic relationship instead of treating it as a serious violation. This also raised questions about Janhvi’s character. She was often shown more as an object of the hero’s desire than as a fully developed character, while the hero continued to get the image of a romantic or heroic figure.

That is very different from simply showing a woman as glamorous or exploring sexual desire.

Lust Stories has desire at the center of its concept. The franchise explores sex, relationships, attraction, fantasies, and complicated emotions. Individual stories can still be scrutinized for being weak or poorly written. But sexual content itself is not the problem.

The real difference is context, agency, and consent. A film can show sexual desire without glorifying unwanted advances or forcing someone into a sexual situation.

So, comparing Lust Stories 3 with Peddi simply because both films show women in a sexual manner misses the main point. The issue is not whether a film shows desire or sexuality. The issue is how that desire is portrayed and whether the woman has agency and consent.