Nithya Menen ‘Peddi’ is the latest voice to enter the conversation about the queue and the questions raised Janhvi Kapoorhis portrayal in the film. The actress was candid about not having seen ‘Peddi’, but she did not shy away from expressing her position: she is definitely against the objectification of women on screen. However, he was equally vocal in his defense of the South Indian film industry against what he believed to be an unfair generalization, stating that objectification is a problem that permeates all film industries worldwide and cannot be pinned on anyone in particular.
Nithya Menen on the hyper-commercialization of men’s cinema and the objectification of women
Speaking to Variety India, he said, “I think the root of the problem lies in the hyper-commercialisation of cinema. What works commercially and moves the audience is often indulged in for a blockbuster hit.” Is it too much? Absolutely. I wonder if actors should have better boundaries and if the person performing the scene would put their foot down and say they’re not okay with being objectified.“
Nithya Menen urges female actors to set boundaries from the start
Menen also talked about the importance of knowing where the actors are. She said she can’t imagine being pushed to do something she’s not comfortable with, adding that she’s always been clear about the roles and scenes she’s willing to take part in. For him, these are personal decisions based on what an actor values and how he sees his responsibility towards his craft. She also had a word of advice for the female actors, have your boundaries from the start. Nithya pointed out that if someone has spent years making a commercial film and then suddenly raises objections, it becomes harder for the industry to take those concerns seriously.“I don’t think you are helpless in a situation. You can assert yourself. It depends on that person’s preference. Is there a film I shouldn’t do or a genre I don’t do because I don’t do certain things? Yes. But I agree, because I choose that over fame. If you want to do something and be called, you will be a star. Taken,” said Nithya.
Janhvi Kapoor is yet to respond to the Peddi controversy
On her part, Janhvi has chosen to remain silent on the matter, and has not made any public statement on the ‘Peddi’ controversy so far.
