The controversy had not dented its commercial momentum.
Four days after its release, Ram Charan's sports drama Peddi has crossed Rs 150 crore domestically, even as social media voices raised sustained concerns about how the film portrays its female lead and romanticizes non-consensual behavior. The gap between ethical critique and commercial outcome is not new to cinema, but it is rarely so visible or so quickly measured. What Peddi's opening weekend reveals is an old tension in popular culture: the distance between the conversation happening online and the choices being made at the ticket counter.
- Social media erupted almost immediately after release with accusations that Peddi objectifies Janhvi Kapoor and romanticizes behavior that crosses the line of consent — a backlash sharp enough to dominate the film's early coverage.
- A steep drop from Rs 51 crore on opening day to Rs 26.90 crore on day two briefly suggested the controversy might be biting into the film's momentum.
- The weekend reversed that anxiety: Saturday steadied and Sunday surged 10.6 percent, with Rs 31.90 crore earned across 9,068 shows pushing the domestic gross past Rs 157 crore.
- The Telugu-speaking home market carried the film decisively — 61 percent occupancy against the Hindi version's struggling 23 percent — revealing how narrowly concentrated the film's commercial strength actually is.
- With worldwide collections surpassing Rs 230 crore by day four, the film has found a global audience, but the real test lies ahead: second and third week numbers will show whether ethical criticism eventually shapes what audiences tell each other.
Ram Charan's Peddi opened on June 4 to a divided reception. The film's uneven critical notices were quickly overshadowed by a sharper controversy: social media accusations that director Buchi Babu Sana's film objectified Janhvi Kapoor and romanticized non-consensual behavior. The backlash was sustained and loud. Yet the box office told a different story.
The opening day delivered a strong Rs 51 crore, but day two fell sharply to Rs 26.90 crore — a correction that might have signaled real damage. Instead, the weekend recovered. Saturday brought Rs 28.85 crore, and Sunday added Rs 31.90 crore across 9,068 shows, a 10.6 percent jump that pushed domestic collections to Rs 157.15 crore gross by the end of day four.
The numbers, however, expose a film with uneven reach. The Telugu version dominated its home market with 61 percent occupancy and Rs 25.20 crore on Sunday alone. The Hindi version, despite nearly as many shows, limped along at 23 percent occupancy and Rs 3.85 crore. The Kannada, Tamil, and Malayalam versions barely registered. Internationally, diaspora audiences in North America and the Middle East helped push worldwide collections past Rs 230 crore, suggesting the controversy carried less weight outside India.
Whether the ethical criticism will eventually reshape the film's trajectory remains the open question. Opening weekends ride advance bookings and curiosity; the second and third weeks, shaped by word-of-mouth, will reveal whether audiences who have seen Peddi recommend it to those who have not — and whether the conversation online ever fully reaches the multiplex.
Ram Charan's sports drama Peddi arrived in theaters on June 4 to a divided reception. Critics found the film uneven, but what might have been a routine opening became something more complicated when social media erupted with accusations that the film objectified its female lead, Janhvi Kapoor, and romanticized behavior that lacked consent. The backlash was sharp and sustained. Yet by Sunday—just four days after release—the film had crossed 150 crore rupees domestically, suggesting that the controversy, at least so far, had not dented its commercial momentum.
Director Buchi Babu Sana's film opened strong, collecting 51 crore on its first day across Indian screens. The second day brought a sharp correction: earnings dropped to 26.90 crore, a significant fall that might have signaled trouble. But the weekend told a different story. Saturday brought a modest recovery to 28.85 crore, and Sunday—typically the strongest day of a film's opening week—delivered a 10.6 percent jump. On that first Sunday alone, Peddi earned 31.90 crore net across 9,068 shows, pushing the domestic total to 157.15 crore gross.
The numbers reveal a film with deeply uneven geographic appeal. The Telugu version, released in the film's home market, dominated entirely. It played across nearly 4,437 shows at 61 percent occupancy and contributed 25.20 crore to the total—more than a quarter of the day's earnings. The Hindi version, by contrast, struggled significantly. Despite 3,889 shows, it managed only 23 percent occupancy and collected just 3.85 crore. The Kannada, Tamil, and Malayalam versions barely registered, each contributing between 5 lakhs and 25 lakhs from a handful of shows.
Globally, the film's reach extended further. Worldwide collections had already surpassed 230 crore by the end of the fourth day, indicating that international markets—particularly diaspora audiences in North America and the Middle East—had embraced the film despite the domestic controversy. The overall occupancy rate of 41.5 percent across all versions and all shows suggested a film that had found its audience, even if that audience was concentrated in specific regions and languages.
What remains unclear is whether the social media criticism will have a delayed effect. Opening weekends often reflect advance interest and curiosity; the real test comes in the second and third weeks, when word-of-mouth—positive or negative—begins to shape audience decisions. For now, Peddi's box office trajectory suggests that for a significant portion of the viewing public, the film's commercial appeal has outweighed the ethical concerns raised online. Whether that holds as the film moves deeper into its theatrical run will depend on how audiences who have already seen it choose to discuss it with those who have not.
Citações Notáveis
The film opened to mixed reviews but sparked controversy for objectification of the female lead and romanticization of non-consensual behavior, prompting severe backlash on social media.— Social media response to Peddi
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
How do you explain a film facing serious backlash for its portrayal of women still pulling in these kinds of numbers?
The Telugu version is doing almost all the heavy lifting. That 61 percent occupancy in Telugu tells you the core audience showed up regardless of what Twitter was saying. The Hindi version barely moved.
So the controversy didn't travel?
Not equally. The backlash was loud and visible online, but it seems to have been concentrated in certain circles—urban, English-language, social media-active. The regional audience that actually goes to theaters had different priorities.
What about the drop from day one to day two? That's a steep fall.
That's normal for openings, actually. Day one is always inflated by advance bookings and curiosity. The real question is whether day three and four hold or grow. Here they grew, which means word-of-mouth wasn't killing it.
But we're only four days in. Could this still collapse?
Absolutely. Second and third weeks are where controversy usually bites. If people who saw it on opening weekend start telling their friends to skip it, that's when you see real damage. Right now we're just seeing the initial wave.
The worldwide number—230 crore—that's significant?
It suggests the film found an audience beyond India, probably diaspora markets. That's a safety net. Even if domestic collections slow, international could cushion the fall.