Telugu Film 'Peddi' Explores Identity and Social Inequality Through Cricket and Wrestling The Telugu film Peddi, directed by Buchi Babu Sana, centers on the journey of its titular protagonist, played by Ram Charan, as he navigates the challenges of rural life in Andhra Pradesh during the 1990s. The story, which blends elements of sports dramas with social commentary, follows Peddi’s transformation from a laborer with a passion for cricket to a wrestler driven by personal and communal struggles. The film’s narrative is framed around the protagonist’s fight for identity, both as an individual and as a representative of his village, which faces systemic neglect and poverty. Set against the backdrop of sugarcane fields and rural hardship, the film opens with Peddi as a coolie who discovers his cricketing talent. His prodigious batting skills, marked by powerful sixes that often clear neighboring grounds, become a source of both personal pride and financial survival. However, the sport is not without its dangers, as Peddi must contend with predators who threaten his safety and a society that denies him respect. The film’s director, Buchi Babu Sana, draws inspiration from sports biopics like Sarpatta Parambarai and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, using their structure to frame Peddi’s journey as a battle against oppression. A key plot device is the introduction of a member of the Indian Olympics Association, portrayed by Boman Irani, who witnesses Peddi’s extraordinary cricketing feats. This character serves as a catalyst for the story, linking Peddi’s personal struggles to broader themes of social inequity. The film’s core focus is on the plight of sugarcane field laborers, whose lives are defined by poverty, lack of infrastructure, and political marginalization.#ram_charan #janhvi_kapoor #buchi_babu_sana #boman_irani #appala_suri
Peddi review: From cricket to wrestling, nothing in this Ram Charan film makes sense The year is 2016. Following India’s disastrous Olympic campaign, a high-level sports review meeting is convened in Kolkata. Furious over the country’s abysmal performance, the Sports Minister tears into officials, threatens to shut down sports facilities, and slash funding. Amid the chaos, a dejected sports scout (played by Boman Irani) is tasked with identifying fresh talent. For reasons the film never bothers to properly explain, Boman Irani arrives in Vizianagaram. There, he finds hundreds of youngsters carrying cricket bats and sports gear, lining up for selections. The source of this sporting revolution, we are told, is a man named Peddi. Much like Devara, the narrative is structured around people speaking in awe of the protagonist before we actually meet him. Through Boman Irani’s character, who essentially serves the same function as Prakash Raj’s character in Devara, we are gradually introduced to Peddi. Directed by Buchi Babu Sana, Peddi marks the filmmaker’s second outing after Uppena. Ram Charan plays the titular role alongside Janhvi Kapoor, Shivarajkumar, Divyendu Sharma, Jagapathi Babu, and others. The film follows a man from an oppressed tribal community living in a hamlet that the government refuses to officially recognize. The residents possess no voter IDs, no government documents, and not even the dignity of an acknowledged existence. Forced into manual scavenging and other degrading labor, they are collectively referred to as “Konda Kindha Unnollu” — the people beneath the hill. Peddi faces discrimination both from caste hierarchies and an indifferent state apparatus. Their village lacks basic infrastructure, including a railway station, and the people are effectively invisible to the system.#ram_charan #buchi_babu_sana #boman_irani #vizianagaram #konda_kindha_unnollu
