Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor’s sports action drama Peddi is all set to make its OTT debut, giving audiences another chance to watch the much-discussed film from home.
Netflix has announced that the Buchi Babu Sana directorial will begin streaming globally from July 9.
The film will be available in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.
Set against the backdrop of rural Andhra Pradesh, Peddi tells the story of a gifted athlete from an undocumented tribal village that has suffered for years due to poverty, discrimination and government neglect.
The story begins in 2016, when a sports ministry official visits the remote village after hearing young athletes speak about Peddi’s influence on them.
The narrative then moves back to 1994.
Peddi works as a labourer while also building a reputation as a local cricket champion. At the same time, his close friend Appalasoori fights to secure official recognition for their village and demands basic facilities, including a railway station.
After Appalasoori dies by suicide, Peddi decides to take up the fight for his people.
He later trains as a wrestler and rises through state and national-level competitions. However, a serious injury brings his wrestling career to an abrupt end.
Peddi refuses to give up and finds a new path to continue his struggle, eventually taking the problems of his community to a much bigger platform.
Written and directed by Buchi Babu Sana, Peddi is produced by Venkata Satish Kilaru under the Vriddhi Cinema banner.
Apart from Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor, the film features Shivarajkumar, Divyenndu and Jagapathi Babu in important roles. A.R. Rahman has composed the music.
Peddi also faced major controversy after its theatrical release.
One of the biggest criticisms was over the treatment of Janhvi Kapoor’s character, with several viewers accusing the film of objectifying and oversexualising her through certain scenes and visual presentation.
The backlash intensified over scenes involving non-consensual kissing and other moments that many viewers found uncomfortable.
As criticism grew, director Buchi Babu Sana issued a public apology and confirmed that the controversial portions had been permanently removed from the film.
With Peddi now heading to Netflix on July 9, all eyes will be on whether the film finds a fresh audience on OTT after its eventful theatrical run.
