Peddi Movie 2026: Cast, Box Office, and Controversy

Peddi is a 2026 Telugu sports drama starring Ram Charan, directed by Buchi Babu Sana, and released in theatres on June 4, 2026. It is the highest-grossing South Indian film of 2026 so far, crossing ₹400 crore in worldwide gross collections within two weeks of release.

Peddi tells the story of a gifted cross-athlete from a remote mountain village who excels in both cricket and kushti, traditional wrestling. The film blends sports drama with social commentary on caste, identity, and institutional neglect of rural talent. It opened to strong box office numbers but also drew criticism over the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor's character, leading director Buchi Babu Sana to issue a public apology and re-edit the film.

What is Peddi about?

Peddi is set in 2016, when a sports official played by Boman Irani visits a remote village atop a mountain to learn about a local legend named Peddi, played by Ram Charan. The village boys revere Peddi as a living legend, and the official's journey reveals the athlete's arduous struggle to put his village on the map.

Peddi is a cross-athlete, a term for someone who excels in both cricket and kushti. His skills bring him fame despite his lower-caste background, and he is often called "Pahadi Tihadi" because his livelihood depends on the meager salary he earns at the jaggery factory and the amounts cricket teams pay to buy him for matches. He wants to change his fate, but sports teaches him a bigger lesson about identity, dignity, and the importance of a person to an institution.

Director Buchi Babu Sana said the film was inspired by the Khelo India initiative. "In 2017-18, Khelo India started with a vision to find players from every house and introduce them to the world. This became our primary source of inspiration," he told [indianexpress.com](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/telugu/buchi-babu-cuts-controversial-janhvi-kapoor-scenes-from-peddi-few-shots-turned-misleading-10730097/).

Buchi Babu also explained the film's central question: what happens to exceptional physical ability when it has no institutional support. "Villagers carry 150 to 200 kg easily. Because they remain in villages they have become coolies. Or else they would have been winning medals in heavy weightlifting competitions," he said.

Who is in the Peddi cast?

Peddi features a large ensemble cast led by Ram Charan in the title role. Janhvi Kapoor plays Achiyamma, the daughter of a local politician played by Rao Ramesh. Shiva Rajkumar plays a character who carries much of the film's thematic weight, explaining how Peddi's daily labour, like drawing water from a well or lifting heavy rice bags, adds up to wrestling training.

• Ram Charan as Peddi
• Janhvi Kapoor as Achiyamma
• Shiva Rajkumar
• Jagapathi Babu
• Divyenndu
• Boman Irani as the sports official
• Rao Ramesh as Achiyamma's father

The film is produced by Venkata Satish Kilaru under Vriddhi Cinemas, co-produced by Ishan Saksena of IVY Entertainment, and presented by Mythri Movie Makers in association with Sukumar Writings.

How much did Peddi earn at the box office?

Peddi has been a box office phenomenon. According to official figures shared by the makers, the film collected over ₹315 crore gross worldwide within five days of its June 4 release, including preview shows held on June 3. Within two weeks, it crossed ₹400 crore in worldwide gross collections, making it South India's top-earning film of 2026 so far, as reported by [gulfnews.com](https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/ram-charans-peddi-crosses-rs-315-billion-worldwide-becomes-highest-grossing-south-indian-film-of-2026-1.500568450).

Peddi has outperformed several regional titles released in 2026, including Drishyam 3 (₹235.55 crore), The Raja Saab (₹208.39 crore), and Karuppu (₹304 crore) in worldwide gross collections. On the broader pan-India chart, Peddi currently ranks third, behind Karuppu and Border 2 (₹450 crore), with Dhurandhar 2 (₹1813 crore) leading the list.

Advance bookings were strong across premium formats. The Telugu EPIQ version alone earned over ₹6 lakh in advance sales, and Hyderabad's EPIQ screenings recorded full occupancy across all five shows, according to [timesofindia.indiatimes.com](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/peddi-movie-review-release-live-update-ram-charan-janhvi-kapoor-peddi-review-and-box-office-collection/liveblog/131494422.cms). Several screenings across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were marked as sold out ahead of release.

Why did Peddi face controversy over Janhvi Kapoor's character?

Peddi drew criticism from audiences and women's rights groups over the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor's character, Achiyamma. Reviewers and viewers flagged the romance track as objectifying, with one dialogue, "I can identify my girl by her waist," drawing particular backlash. The [timesnownews.com](https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/reviews/peddi-movie-review-ram-charan-dhobi-pachad-innings-deserve-loudest-cheers-in-otherwise-predictable-sports-drama-review-154456521) review described Kapoor as limited to an extremely objectified character and called the romance more lust than love.

Director Buchi Babu Sana issued a public apology to audiences who were uncomfortable with the portrayal and confirmed that certain scenes would be modified or removed from the theatrical version. In his statement, he emphasised that his approach to filmmaking has always been rooted in entertainment, emotional connection, and respect for audiences. He stated that cinema should "entertain, inspire, and connect" and should never make viewers feel "uncomfortable or disrespected."

Buchi Babu also explained his creative intent. "In my opinion, a lot of people misread Janhvi Kapoor's track as unnecessary in an otherwise good story," he said. He admitted where it went wrong: "In this process, a few shots turned misleading. We have taken corrective measures to remove them, and we have removed them."

Actor Jagapathi Babu came to Kapoor's defence at a press interaction. "As an artist, the only thing I would say is please don't target the actor. It's unfair to go after that girl. We don't know what her personal views were or whether she agreed with every creative decision," he said.

What changed in the re-edited version of Peddi?

A re-edited version of Peddi started rolling out in theatres in the third week of release, carrying close to six minutes of new footage. The production team confirmed the addition of approximately 5 minutes and 56 seconds of fresh footage to the theatrical cut, including a key scene for senior actor Jagapathi Babu and additional scenes built around Janhvi Kapoor's character, as reported by [indianexpress.com](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/telugu/after-cutting-controversial-janhvi-kapoor-scenes-rs-400-cr-peddi-adds-6-minutes-footage-10745568/).

The added material is aimed at giving Achiyamma more depth and a stronger emotional arc, something several reviewers had flagged as a weak point in the original cut. The re-edit arrived alongside the ₹400 crore box office milestone, even as the film's daily domestic collections slowed considerably heading into its third weekend.

How was Peddi received by critics?

Critical reception was mixed. The Times Now review praised Ram Charan's performance, calling his "Dhobi Pachad innings" worthy of the loudest cheers, but described the film as an otherwise predictable sports drama. Reviewers noted that while Ram Charan compensates for logical flaws, Kapoor's character disappears after a couple of scenes and returns with unjustified scenes later.

Buchi Babu defended the film's intent. "We did not want to tell a simple, ordinary film. We wanted to make a sports drama that tells the importance of a person to an institution, how a man strives for identity or the village's identity," he said. He also clarified that Peddi was never meant to be a conventional commercial entertainer. "This is not a commercial film. It is not just a culmination of five songs and fights. Actor Ram Charan wanted this to be an inspirational story, our Peddi's journey."

Peddi movie FAQ

Who directed Peddi?

Peddi was directed by Buchi Babu Sana, known for his previous work on Uppena.

Who plays the lead role in Peddi?

Ram Charan plays the title role of Peddi, a cross-athlete who excels in cricket and kushti wrestling.

How much did Peddi earn at the box office?

Peddi crossed ₹315 crore gross worldwide within five days of release and ₹400 crore within two weeks, making it the highest-grossing South Indian film of 2026 so far.

Why did the director apologise for Peddi?

Director Buchi Babu Sana apologised after audiences and women's rights groups criticised the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor's character as objectifying. He confirmed that certain scenes were removed from the theatrical version.

Is Peddi based on a true story?

Peddi is a fictional sports drama inspired by the Khelo India initiative, which aims to find players from every household and introduce them to the world.

Updated August 2026.