Anu Aggarwal on 'Peddi' row: Are female characters objects of visual consumption?
Synopsis
Veteran actress Anu Aggarwal has put a sharp editorial lens on the Peddi controversy, asking a question the industry rarely poses directly: does a female character exist as a person, or as a visual prop? With director Buchi Babu Sana already agreeing to edit the film, her intervention arrives at a moment when audience pressure is visibly reshaping creative decisions.
Key Takeaways
Anu Aggarwal posted on Instagram questioning whether female film characters are depicted as full human beings or objects of visual consumption.
Her remarks are a direct response to controversy over Janhvi Kapoor 's portrayal in the Telugu film Peddi .
Director Buchi Babu Sana has said the makers will make changes to the relevant portions following audience backlash.
Aggarwal debuted in 1990 and last appeared on screen in Return of Jewel Thief ( 1996 ).
She survived a near-fatal car accident in 1999 , spending nearly 29 days in a coma.
Veteran actress Anu Aggarwal has entered the debate around the portrayal of women in Indian cinema, raising pointed questions about whether female characters are written as full human beings or reduced to objects of visual consumption. Her remarks come amid mounting backlash over the depiction of Janhvi Kapoor's character in the Telugu film Peddi, which critics have accused of objectifying its female lead.
What Anu Aggarwal Said
In an Instagram post, Aggarwal framed the debate around a deceptively simple test: “When we talk about the objectification of women in cinema, what are we really talking about? For me, the question is simple. Are we seeing a female character as a complete human being? Or are we seeing her primarily as an object of visual consumption? Does she have a voice?”
She pushed the question further: “Does she have a personality? Does she make choices? Does she have a journey of her own? And perhaps the simplest question of all: If a particular scene were removed, would the story lose something essential?”
Aggarwal concluded: “Or was it there merely to draw attention to her body? Respect recognizes the whole person. Objectification reduces the character to something less. What do you think?”
The Peddi Controversy
The film Peddi, starring Janhvi Kapoor, has drawn significant criticism over what audiences and commentators describe as the sexualisation of its female lead. Following the backlash, director Buchi Babu Sana acknowledged the concerns and said the makers would make changes to the relevant portions based on audience feedback — an unusual concession that itself signals the scale of public pressure.
This comes amid a broader, recurring conversation in Indian cinema about the line between artistic expression and the commodification of female actors. Notably, such debates have surfaced repeatedly over the past decade, from item numbers to male-gaze-driven framing in mainstream releases.
Who Is Anu Aggarwal
Aggarwal made her Bollywood debut in 1990 and went on to appear in films including Ghazab Tamasha, King Uncle, Khal-Naaikaa, The Cloud Door, Janam Kundli, and Ram Shastra. Her final release was Return of Jewel Thief (1996), directed by Ashok Tyagi — a sequel to the 1967 classic featuring Ashok Kumar and Dev Anand, who reprised their roles. The cast also included Dharmendra, Jackie Shroff, Shilpa Shirodkar, and Madhoo.
In 1999, Aggarwal was critically injured in a car accident and remained in a coma for nearly 29 days, an experience that left her with no memory of her earlier life. Her voice on this issue, drawn from lived experience at the margins of the industry, carries a weight that purely academic commentary does not.
Why This Moment Matters
The fact that a director has publicly committed to editing a released film in response to objectification criticism is, by any measure, a shift — however incremental. Whether the industry takes Aggarwal’s framework seriously — asking whether a scene earns its place in the story or exists only to display a body — will be the real measure of progress. The conversation is unlikely to end with Peddi.
Point of View
And the incentive structures that reward visual spectacle over character depth remain intact. The question is whether this moment produces policy — say, revised CBFC guidelines on gratuitous content — or simply fades after the next news cycle.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Anu Aggarwal say about women in cinema?
Anu Aggarwal posted on Instagram asking whether female film characters are portrayed as complete human beings with voice, personality, and their own journey, or reduced to objects of visual consumption. She proposed a simple test: if a scene were removed and the story lost nothing essential, it was likely there only to display the character's body.
What is the Peddi controversy about?
Peddi, a Telugu film starring Janhvi Kapoor, has faced backlash from audiences and critics who accuse the makers of objectifying its female lead. Director Buchi Babu Sana subsequently stated that changes would be made to the relevant portions of the film in response to the feedback.
Who is Anu Aggarwal?
Anu Aggarwal is a veteran Bollywood actress who debuted in 1990 and appeared in films including Ghazab Tamasha, King Uncle, and Khal-Naaikaa. Her last film was Return of Jewel Thief in 1996. In 1999, she was critically injured in a car accident and spent nearly 29 days in a coma.
Why is Anu Aggarwal's perspective significant in this debate?
As a veteran actress who worked in the 1990s — an era often criticised for its treatment of female performers — Aggarwal speaks from direct industry experience. Her framing of objectification as a storytelling question, rather than a purely moral one, offers a practical standard for filmmakers and audiences alike.
What happens next with Peddi?
Director Buchi Babu Sana has publicly committed to editing the portions of Peddi that drew objectification criticism, making it an unusual case of a filmmaker responding to audience pressure after a film's release. The extent of those changes has not yet been detailed.
