Trapped in Male Gaze

Peddi, the sports action drama positions its hero, Ram Charan, as both a sporting prodigy and a crusader against systemic injustice. Yet, while the film champions identity and dignity for its male protagonist, it denies its female lead an identity of her own.

Director Buchi Babu Sana’s film has drawn sharp criticism for its overt sexualisation of Janhvi’s character, with viewers questioning its normalisation of objectification, harassment and the absence of consent under the guise of romance. Many have taken issue with the camera’s lingering gaze on her body, arguing that the character exists more as an object of desire than as a fully realised individual.

The debate intensified when Janhvi was seen liking an Instagram post that criticised the film’s treatment of women. Screenshots quickly went viral, with many interpreting the gesture as a tacit acknowledgement of the concerns raised by audiences. While the actor has made no public statement, the interaction has fuelled speculation about her own views on the role.

Heroes matter, heroines reduced to items!

Filmmaker Rajni Basumatary is unequivocal in her criticism. “Reports suggest Janhvi Kapoor has a blink-and-you-miss-it role and that even her introductory shot begins with a camera pan from her navel to her bosom. She is now being asked why actresses agree to work in films where they exist largely to be objectified and treated as accessories to the hero’s larger-than-life persona. But do actresses really have much of a choice? Women rarely get to call the shots in an industry where power remains concentrated in the hands of male stars, producers and directors. What surprises me most is not merely the writer-director’s apparent lack of sensitivity, but the unwillingness of major stars such as Ram Charan to address the issue. If leading actors wield enough influence to greenlight projects, surely they have enough influence to question how women are represented in them.”

Why actresses’ tolerate objectification

Janhvi, who earned praise for performances in films such as Dhadak, Gunjan Saxena and Mili, has often spoken about choosing character-driven roles.

Yet her Telugu debut appears to stand in contrast to that image. Even her earlier film Devara was no better — she was projected as an object of desire!

The phenomenon is hardly new. From Kajal Aggarwal and Tamannaah Bhatia to Rashmika Mandanna and several others, actresses in star-driven South Indian films have frequently found themselves relegated to ornamental roles, with little impact on the narrative beyond glamour and song sequences.

“It is an industry problem,” says a well-informed insider. “In Telugu cinema, the hero rarely changes; the heroine is often written as someone chasing him. The mindset of presenting women as objects has become a template because it continues to work commercially. Even if hundreds criticise it, there is still a large audience consuming it. Actresses too are trying to establish themselves. They know that if they refuse, someone else will accept the opportunity. Glamour often comes wrapped in vulgarity, but it also brings visibility. Backlash is usually short-lived.” Actresses too are trying to establish themselves. They know that if they refuse, someone else will accept the opportunity. Glamour often comes wrapped in vulgarity, but it also brings visibility. Backlash is usually short-lived.”

Highlights:

The continuous over-sexualisation of female characters in Telugu and Tamil cinema reveals a troubling pattern. Directors remain the captains of their creative ships, yet many continue to rely on male gaze-driven storytelling that presents women primarily as objects of desire. Commercial risk aversion is a major factor. The proven masala formulas of the 1980s and 1990s continue to attract core audiences, while nuanced female characters are often viewed as a risk in star-driven projects.”

— Girish Wankhede, Film analyst

Women rarely get to call the shots in an industry, power remains concentrated in the hands of male stars, producers and directors. What surprises me most is not merely the writer-director’s apparent lack of sensitivity, but the unwillingness of major stars such as Ram Charan to address the issue.”

— Rajni Basumatary, Filmmaker

“Actresses too are trying to establish themselves. They know that if they refuse, someone else will accept the opportunity. Glamour often comes wrapped in vulgarity, but it also brings visibility. Backlash is usually short-lived.”