Peddi is a 2026 Indian Telugu-language sports action drama written and directed by Buchi Babu Sana, the filmmaker behind Uppena. It stars Ram Charan in the title role, with Shiva Rajkumar, Janhvi Kapoor, Jagapathi Babu and Divyenndu in key parts, and music by A. R. Rahman. 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 and Sukumar Writings.

Set in Andhra Pradesh and moving between 1994 and 1996, Peddi follows a village sportsman who uses cricket, wrestling and running to fight for his community’s identity. After repeated delays from its original date of 27 March 2026, the film released in theatres on 4 June 2026 in five languages. It opened with the biggest first day of Ram Charan’s career, became the highest-grossing Telugu film of 2026 and later began streaming on Netflix from 9 July 2026. Reviews were mixed, with high praise for Ram Charan’s performance and sharp criticism of the screenplay and runtime. This guide covers the Peddi movie review, cast, story, music, release details, OTT status and box office numbers.

Peddi – Movie Details

Category	Details
Movie Name	Peddi
Release Date	4 June 2026 (special screenings on 3 June in select regions)
Earlier Planned Date	27 March 2026
Country	India
Original Language	Telugu
Other Versions	Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam
Genre	Sports Action Drama
Director and Writer	Buchi Babu Sana
Lead Cast	Ram Charan, Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, Divyenndu
Supporting Cast	Boman Irani, Ravi Kishan, Rao Ramesh, Tinnu Anand, Zakir Hussain, Ajay Ghosh, Upendra Limaye, John Vijay and others
Producer	Venkata Satish Kilaru
Co-Producer	Ishan Saksena
Production Companies	Vriddhi Cinemas, IVY Entertainment; presented by Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings
Music	A. R. Rahman
Cinematography	R. Rathnavelu
Editing	Navin Nooli
Production Design	Avinash Kolla
Runtime	189 minutes (theatrical cut)
Certification	U/A (India)
Reported Budget	₹300–350 crore
OTT Platform	Netflix (streaming since 9 July 2026)

Peddi Story and Plot

Story begins in 2016, when a National Sports Ministry official is reprimanded after India’s poor performance at the Olympic Games. While touring a town in Andhra Pradesh, he notices that local young athletes speak of one man as their inspiration, a person called Peddi. Curious, he sets out on a long journey through forests and hills to reach a remote, unnamed hilltop village and discover the man’s story.

The film then moves to 1994 in a marginalised and undocumented tribal hamlet in the Vizianagaram region. Villagers face discrimination, economic exploitation and violence from neighbouring landlords. Appalasoori, an elder in the village, has spent three decades petitioning the government to legally recognise the village, give it a name and provide a railway station that would connect it with the outside world. Peddi, his companion, works as an aata coolie, a sportsman who plays tournaments for wages, with unmatched cricketing skills and an unbeaten record.

Peddi falls in love with Achiyamma, the daughter of a local politician, and makes an enemy of Rambujji after standing up for her in public. A tragedy in the village pushes Peddi to seek a legal identity for his people, and he turns to a veteran wrestling coach named Gournaidu to train for bigger competitions. From there, the story follows his journey through wrestling and track events, driven by one goal: to win for the identity and recognition of his village. Without giving away the final act, the film builds toward a dramatic turn that reviewers have described as its most daring part.

The film is set in the 1980s and 1990s, and the makers have described it as a rustic, emotional journey. It combines village drama, sport and a social message about identity and belonging with several mass-action scenes.

Peddi Cast and Characters

The Peddi cast brings together a pan-India lead, a Kannada superstar, a Bollywood actress and a large group of veteran actors.

Ram Charan as Peddi: Ram Charan plays the title role, a villager and sportsman who becomes the hope of his community. He underwent a major physical transformation under fitness coach Shivoham Bhatt and learned the Vizianagaram dialect for the part. His performance is the most consistently praised element of the film.

Shiva Rajkumar as Gournaidu: The Kannada star plays Peddi’s wrestling coach and mentor, a veteran who wants to revive the traditional wrestling of Vizianagaram.

Janhvi Kapoor as Achiyamma: Janhvi plays Peddi’s love interest and later his wife. This is her second Telugu film. Her character became the centre of a public debate after release, as described later in this article.

Jagapathi Babu as Appalasoori: He plays the village elder who has spent decades fighting for legal recognition of the hamlet, and his performance has been widely praised.

Divyenndu as Rambujji: The actor, known for Mirzapur, plays the rival who humiliates Peddi in public and becomes his antagonist.

Rao Ramesh as Subhadra Raju: He plays Achiyamma’s father, a local politician.

Boman Irani as Kiran Singh Baiswal: He plays the National Sports Ministry official who sets the story in motion.

Ravi Kishan as Ranadheer Sisodia: He plays Gournaidu’s rival in the world of wrestling.

Others: The cast also includes Tinnu Anand as the Youth Affairs and Sports Minister, Zakir Hussain as the Union Railway Minister, Viji Chandrasekhar as Peddi’s mother Gangamma, Ajay Ghosh, Aadukalam Naren, Satya, Chitram Seenu, Rajeev Pillai, Upendra Limaye and John Vijay. Shruti Haasan makes a special appearance in the song “Hellallallo”.

Vijay Sethupathi was reportedly offered a role in the film but declined it.

Why Peddi Was One of the Biggest Telugu Films of 2026

Ram Charan’s big pan-India bet. Peddi was seen as a major test of Ram Charan’s pull across languages after Game Changer, and he promoted it as his most challenging film yet.

A. R. Rahman’s music. The soundtrack’s global music rights were reportedly acquired by T-Series for ₹35 crore, a record-setting deal for a Telugu film.

Buchi Babu Sana’s second film. After his debut Uppena in 2021, which became a major hit, the director’s second film drew a lot of attention, especially with a star of Ram Charan’s scale.

Scale and budget. With a reported budget of ₹300 to ₹350 crore, Peddi became one of the costliest Telugu films ever made, with large period sets, a recreated 1980s coastal town and big action sequences.

Multiple formats. The film released in standard, IMAX, 4DX, D-Box, ScreenX, ICE, PXL, MX4D, Dolby Cinema and EPIQ formats.

Production, Creative and Technical Aspects

Development and Story

Ram Charan confirmed his collaboration with Buchi Babu Sana in November 2022, and the project was officially launched by Chiranjeevi on 20 March 2024 under the working title RC16, described as a rural, emotional and rustic journey. The official title Peddi was announced on 27 March 2025, with a first glimpse released on 6 April 2025. A. R. Rahman was brought on board in January 2024 and had completed three tracks by March 2024.

Casting and Characters

Shiva Rajkumar confirmed his role in January 2024, and Janhvi Kapoor was announced as the female lead on 6 March 2024, her birthday. Jagapathi Babu and Divyenndu joined in November 2024, Boman Irani in December 2025 and Shruti Haasan for a special song in April 2026. Auditions were held across Vizianagaram, Salur, Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam to find local talent.

Filming and Locations

Principal photography began in Mysuru on 22 November 2024. Filming also took place in Hyderabad, Colombo, Kanyakumari and Pune, along with Sri Lanka for a romantic song. In May 2025, the team built a large set replicating a 1980s coastal town on the outskirts of Hyderabad. By October 2025, about 60 percent of the film had been shot. A major fight sequence choreographed by Sham Kaushal was filmed at a steel factory in Hyderabad in December 2025. After a minor injury to Ram Charan during an action scene in March 2026, filming concluded at the end of April 2026. Pending post-production work caused several delays from the original March release date.

Production Companies and Distribution

The film is produced by Vriddhi Cinemas and Sukumar Writings with Mythri Movie Makers as distributor. Mythri handled the Nizam region, reportedly for ₹63 crore. Jio Studios distributed the film across North India, Kishore Films in Karnataka, Think Studios in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and Hombale Films in overseas territories.

Cinematography and Editing

R. Rathnavelu is the cinematographer and Navin Nooli the editor. Avinash Kolla is the production designer, Aalim Hakim designed several looks for Ram Charan, and Jani Master choreographed the song “Chikiri Chikiri”.

Music and Soundtrack Details

A. R. Rahman composed the songs and the background score. The singles were released one by one during the promotional campaign.

1. Chikiri Chikiri

Released on 7 November 2025, it is the first single and a love song picturised on Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor. It was filmed in Savalya Ghat near Pune, and the team trekked for about 45 minutes to reach the location. The song was widely shared online after release.

2. Rai Rai Raa Raa

Released on 2 March 2026, this is a high-energy dance number that showcased Ram Charan’s moves.

3. Hellallallo

Released on 24 May 2026, this is a special song that features Shruti Haasan and Janhvi Kapoor alongside Ram Charan.

4. Massa Massa

Released on 28 May 2026, it is the final promotional single and shows Ram Charan in his wrestler look.

Reviewers who disagreed on many aspects of the film generally praised Rahman’s score as one of its strongest parts.

Release Date and Theatrical Distribution

Peddi Release Details

Detail	Information
Film Title	Peddi
Release Date in India	4 June 2026
Paid Previews	3 June 2026 (select regions)
Earlier Planned Date	27 March 2026
Title Announced	27 March 2025
First Glimpse	6 April 2025
Trailer Release Date	18 May 2026 (launched at an event in Mumbai)
Certification	U/A (India); 12A (United Kingdom)
Runtime	189 minutes
Languages	Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam
OTT Platform	Netflix
OTT Release Date	9 July 2026

Official Release Date

Peddi released worldwide on 4 June 2026, a Thursday. The film was first scheduled for 27 March 2026, and reports in February 2026 indicated that the date would move again because of pending post-production work. In early May 2026, the makers locked 4 June as the new release date.

Certification and Runtime

The Central Board of Film Certification gave the film a U/A certificate after minor dialogue changes, and the British Board of Film Classification gave it a 12A. The theatrical cut runs for 189 minutes, which many reviewers described as too long. Reports at the time of the OTT release said that Netflix would stream a longer cut of around 3 hours and 25 minutes.

The Controversy Over Janhvi Kapoor’s Character

After release, the film drew criticism over how Janhvi Kapoor’s character, Achiyamma, was shown. Viewers, critics and several people from the film industry objected to certain scenes, camera angles and a romantic encounter that they felt objectified the character. The row started a wider conversation on the representation of women in Indian cinema. Director Buchi Babu Sana issued a public apology, said the team never meant to disrespect women and announced that the objectionable portions would be modified or removed. Reports said the scenes were later taken out of the film.

OTT Release and Streaming Availability

Peddi is streaming on Netflix, which bought the film’s post-theatrical digital rights. It began streaming on 9 July 2026, about five weeks after its theatrical release, and is available in Telugu along with other Indian language versions. Reports before the OTT premiere indicated that the Netflix version would offer a longer runtime than the theatrical cut. Viewers should check Netflix for the version, languages and runtime available in their region.

Budget and Box Office Collection

Peddi Budget and Box Office

Box Office Detail	Reported Figures
Reported Budget	₹300–350 crore
Release Date	4 June 2026
Opening Day India Net	About ₹51 crore on 12,412 shows (Telugu and dubbed versions combined)
Opening Day India Gross	About ₹82.49 crore
Opening Day Overseas	About ₹30 crore
Opening Day Worldwide Gross	About ₹112 crore to ₹135 crore (trackers differ)
Opening Day Occupancy	About 45.5%
First Weekend Worldwide	About ₹233 crore (a makers’ announcement claimed ₹292.5 crore)
Telugu States Opening Weekend	About ₹107.92 crore
Two-Week Worldwide Gross	About ₹320 crore (some reports say over ₹400 crore)
Final Worldwide Gross	Roughly ₹330–337 crore by most tracker estimates (wider reports range from ₹320 crore to ₹400 crore)
Verdict	Highest-grossing Telugu film of 2026; strong in the Telugu states, weak in other regions and overseas

Figures vary a lot between trackers and producer announcements, so the numbers above show the range reported and not a single official total.

Production Budget

The reported budget of Peddi is between ₹300 crore and ₹350 crore. The makers have not released an official figure. The film’s costs came from large sets, action sequences, a long shooting schedule and a high star fee. This made it one of the most expensive Telugu films ever, and its performance was judged against that high figure.

Opening Day Box Office Collection

Peddi opened on Thursday, 4 June 2026, a non-holiday, with an India net collection of around ₹51 crore across 12,412 shows and occupancy of about 45.5 percent. India gross was about ₹82.49 crore, and overseas contributed about ₹30 crore, taking the worldwide first-day total above ₹100 crore. Reports of the worldwide opening ranged from about ₹112 crore to ₹135 crore depending on the tracker. It was the biggest opening of Ram Charan’s career.

Weekend and First Week

The film grossed around ₹233 crore worldwide in its extended opening weekend, according to tracker reports, while the makers announced a higher figure. Sunday was the strongest day of the weekend. After that, collections fell sharply, with a drop of more than 60 percent on the first Monday. Reports put the total at over ₹315 crore worldwide by the end of the first week and around ₹320 crore by the end of the second week.

Regional Performance

Peddi performed strongly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which accounted for about ₹107.92 crore in the opening weekend. It underperformed in Karnataka, the Hindi belt and overseas markets. In North India, it opened lower than Ram Charan’s previous film Game Changer. Because of this, the film was widely described as a success in the Telugu states but a disappointment as a pan-India release.

India Net, Gross and Worldwide Collection

India net is the ticket revenue after tax deductions, while India gross is the revenue before deductions, so the two should not be compared directly. Worldwide gross adds overseas collections and is not the same as the share that producers and distributors receive. The film ended its theatrical run at roughly ₹330 to ₹337 crore worldwide by most tracker estimates, with higher figures reported in some announcements. Considering the large budget, its final financial picture also depends on digital, satellite and music rights.

Peddi Movie Review and Audience Reception

Rating Platform	Rating / Review
IMDb	A listing exists; a verified aggregate rating was not available at the time of writing
BookMyShow	Audience reviews listed; ratings vary by city and language
PVR INOX	Audience reviews available; no verified aggregate rating
Critics’ Overall Response	Mixed, with star ratings ranging from 1.5/5 to 3.5/5

Ratings and vote counts change over time, so check the current listings before relying on any score.

Peddi Review: What Works

The strongest part of Peddi is Ram Charan. Reviewers across the spectrum agreed that he carries the film from start to finish, with a committed physical performance and strong emotional scenes, especially in the scenes where Peddi pushes his body to its limits. Shiva Rajkumar as the coach and Jagapathi Babu as the village elder also received praise. A. R. Rahman’s score and songs were another consistent highlight, along with the scale of the sets and the period detail of the 1980s and 1990s. Several critics said the film’s emotional core and its message about identity, recognition and belonging gave it heart even when the writing was weak.

Peddi Review: What Does Not Work

The main complaints were about the screenplay and the length. Many reviewers felt the film was overstretched, with a runtime of more than three hours, forced commercial elements and an uneven second half. Several said the story felt derivative of other sports dramas, and some felt supporting characters were underwritten. The depiction of Janhvi Kapoor’s character drew the strongest criticism, with many calling her portrayal and certain scenes objectifying, a point that led to the director’s apology and the removal of some scenes.

Audience Response

Audiences in the Telugu states responded warmly, especially Ram Charan’s fans, who were drawn to his performance and the mass moments. Response in other languages and regions was weaker, which is reflected in the box office numbers.

Where to Watch Peddi

Peddi has completed its theatrical run and is now available on streaming.

• Netflix: Streaming since 9 July 2026.
• BookMyShow, District, PVR INOX and Cinépolis India: Check these platforms for any special screenings or re-releases in your city.

Availability depends on region, language and the version of the film.

Is Peddi Worth Watching?

Peddi is worth watching for Ram Charan fans and for viewers who enjoy rural sports dramas with big emotional moments, strong music and a social message. The performances, especially by Ram Charan, Shiva Rajkumar and Jagapathi Babu, the production design and A. R. Rahman’s music are good reasons to watch.

On the other hand, the screenplay is uneven, the film is long and some scenes, especially the portrayal of the female lead, have been widely criticised. Viewers who want a tight, original sports drama may be disappointed. With the film now on Netflix, watching it at home gives you the freedom to pause or skip the slower parts, which makes it an easy choice for those curious about the film.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)