Janhvi Kapoor on ‘Peddi’: I'm a sucker for 1980s maximalist romance
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor, whose latest Telugu outing ‘Peddi’ opposite Ram Charan is set in the 1980s, has called herself ‘quite nostalgic’ and confessed her deep affection for the cinema of that era. The actress said the decade's maximalist storytelling and unabashed romance continue to draw her in.
What Janhvi said about the 1980s
Speaking to reporters about her connect with the period in which ‘Peddi’ is set, Janhvi said, ‘I think it's the films. I'm quite a nostalgic. I love the films from that era. I think they were so maximalist and romantic. And yeah, I'm a sucker for those films.'
The daughter of late superstar Sridevi and producer Boney Kapoor, Janhvi has often been associated with a sensibility shaped by classic Hindi cinema — a lineage that arguably feeds her affinity for the grandeur of 1980s filmmaking.
Inside ‘Peddi'
Directed by Buchi Babu Sana, ‘Peddi' stars Ram Charan as a ‘crossover athlete' who excels across cricket, wrestling, and sprinting. The ensemble cast includes Boman Irani, Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu and Divyenndu. Janhvi plays Charan's love interest, Achiyamma, in the Telugu film.
Temple visit on release day
On the day ‘Peddi' hit screens, Janhvi offered prayers at the revered Srivari Temple in Andhra Pradesh. She was spotted walking barefoot from her car to the shrine, dressed in a shimmering aubergine-hued silk saree with floral motifs. As she exited, she bowed before the deity and touched her forehead to the ground as a mark of respect.
Recent and upcoming work
In Hindi cinema, Janhvi was last seen in Shashank Khaitan's ‘Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari', co-starring Varun Dhawan, Sanya Malhotra, Rohit Saraf, Maniesh Paul and Akshay Oberoi. She made her acting debut in 2018 with the romantic drama ‘Dhadak', and has since featured in ‘Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl', ‘Mili', ‘Roohi', ‘Ulajh', ‘Mr. & Mrs. Mahi', ‘Good Luck Jerry' and ‘Devara: Part 1'.
She has also earned critical praise for her role as a woman from a lower-caste background navigating social discrimination in ‘Homebound', directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan. With ‘Peddi' now in theatres, Janhvi's vintage-leaning sensibility could shape how audiences read her on-screen choices going forward.