Janhvi Kapoor-Peddi Row: Nithya Menen Rubbishes Claims Of Hypersexualisation Of Women Being A 'South Cinema Issue', Says 'Actors Should Actually Have Better Boundaries'

Janhvi Kapoor featured in her second Telugu movie, Peddi. Featuring Ram Charan, the sports drama is directed by Buchi Babu Sana. The movie hit the big screens on June 4 and was widely criticised for using the actress as a prop and objectifying her. The criticism soon snowballed into a controversy promoting the director to issue a public apology and an assurance that the problematic scenes would be removed.

While social media is picking sides and critics are debating who should take the fall for the backlash, actress Nithya Menen has made her stance clear. In an interview with Variety India, the actress first mentioned that the issue of females being objectified in cinema is not limited to Southern films. She said, “I don’t think we can isolate and say that this only happens in South Indian cinema. That is not true. I feel it’s everywhere. It’s a trend, and everybody follows it.”

The actress, who is vocal on all recent issues, told the publication, “I feel the root of the problem lies in the hyper-commercialisation of cinema. Whatever works commercially and titillates the audience is often indulged in for mass success. Is it too much? Absolutely. I wonder if actors should actually have better boundaries and the person who’s performing the scene should be able to put their foot down and say they are not okay with being objectified.”

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In the conversation, Nithya argued that the choice to star in a certain scene lies with the actors themselves. She added, “If you have been doing this kind of commercial cinema and suddenly you are not okay with it, you may not be taken seriously. I also don’t believe that you end up helpless in a situation. You can assert yourself. It depends on what that person’s priority is. Are there films that I don’t get to do or genres that I don’t get to do because I don’t do certain kinds of stuff? Yes. But I am okay with it because I choose that over fame. If you only want to be a top star and are willing to do anything to get there, then that is a call you have taken.”  

Janhvi Kapoor is yet to comment on the backlash publically.

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