Peddi Row: Ratna Pathak Shah pointed out that not every actress has the privilege or freedom to turn down such roles, as many women in the industry often have limited choices when it comes to selecting projects.
Published: June 7, 2026, 12:38 PM IST
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Ratna Pathak Shah’s Old Video Resurfaces (PC-YouTube)
As Peddi continues to perform well at the box office, the film has also sparked debate over the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor’s character, Achiyyamma. Amid the criticism, an old video of actress Ratna Pathak Shah discussing the objectification of women in cinema has resurfaced online and is gaining attention on social media.
The viral clip is from a 2017 panel discussion featuring Vidya Balan, Bhumi Pednekar, Swara Bhasker and Zaira Wasim. During the conversation, the actors spoke about sexism in the film industry, the challenges faced by women, and how cinema influences society’s views on gender roles. With discussions around female representation in Peddi growing louder, many social media users are now revisiting Ratna Pathak’s remarks and linking them to the ongoing controversy.
In the video, Pathak highlights how privileged women in the industry have the ability to refuse objectifying roles. In the interview with News18, Ratna Pathak spoke about the responsibility actors have when choosing roles that reduce women to objects of desire.
“Everyone who decides to act in a film, every woman, I am sorry to be judgmental, but every woman who decides to act in a film like Dabangg where she is made a complete object of lust and more or less, nothing else, those women should also stand up and say ‘no, I don’t feel doing a part like this’,” she said.
Shah also pointed out that not every actress has the privilege or freedom to turn down such roles, as many women in the industry often have limited choices when it comes to selecting projects. She said, “Particularly since I have got a mummy or daddy to bankroll this, at least at this time I won’t. Silk Smitha didn’t get a chance to say that. Her family depended on her doing what she had to do. My family doesn’t depend, so why am I not standing up?”
south indian movies were and are still about figures, navels and chest of women, now that janhvi kapoor is part of it and people are starting to notice, lets get back to the time when ratna pathak shah cooked these scumbags with the most nicest way possible:
“women who decides… pic.twitter.com/P3VMteLgBg
— Raj (@idfcwau) June 6, 2026
The makers of the film Peddi starring Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor faced controversy after some viewers criticised the portrayal of Janhvi’s character, Achiyyamma, calling it objectifying and problematic. After the online backlash grew, director Buchi Babu Sana responded publicly and apologised on social media. He confirmed that the disputed scenes in the film will be edited.
An excerpt from his statement read, “As a filmmaker, I believe cinema should entertain, inspire, and connect with audiences. It should never make anyone feel uncomfortable or disrespected. We have heard the feedback regarding certain scenes in Peddi and have taken it seriously. I have always had immense respect for women, both on and off screen, and it was never our intention to objectify or disrespect any female character. If any part of the film has been perceived that way, we respect those sentiments, understand the concerns being raised, and sincerely apologize.”
