Regina Cassandra questions Karan Johar for ignoring her during Kesari 2 promotions, says Janhvi Kapoor, Radhika Apte comments fuel north-south divide
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Star Regina Cassandra has weighed in on Janhvi Kapoor's remarks about the objectification of her character in Peddi and Radhika Apte's comments about her experience working in Telugu cinema. Regina shared actors who feel uncomfortable with a movie's portrayal should walk away from the project if they have the choice. She also shared that such conversations can create a divide between the North and South Indian movie industries.
Adding to this, Regina Cassandra spoke about Peddi row. 'Please walk out of the movie if you are not comfortable' In an interview with India Today, Regina shared, "I feel like at the end of the day, if they feel uncomfortable, please walk out to the movie. I don’t think, we should be put in a place where we say we didn’t have a choice. This is not against a man or a woman. As a woman, it is very easy for me to take sides, I will obviously take the side of the woman, but I don’t think any of us today, especially the examples that you gave, I don’t think either of them are in a place where they can't walk out a movie, especially being who they are."
Meanwhile, Regina also spoke about her experience during the promotions of Kesari 2, in which she played the role of the movie's lead Akshay Kumar's wife. She claimed that Dharma Productions did not acknowledge or tag her while promoting the movie.
Notably, She shared, "I really have a big issue with when a north Indian star talks about south Indian cinema like that because you're making a north-south divide without you even realizing it and that's absolutely wrong. There are different ways of handling this. Also, Janhvi has spoken about being objectified on Karan Johar's show, the same Karan's Dharma Productions decided not to promote me in their movie Kesari 2. Now, what am I supposed to call that? Objectifying what? That I'm a South-Indian? Till date I do not even know why they didn't. It is very strange. They shared that Kesari 2's song on Instagram and I am featuring in that song from start to finish, but they didn't even tag me."
As per the latest buzz, Radhika Apte of late spoke about her experience working in South Indian cinema and recalled a Telugu movie in which she played a woman who was married to her maternal uncle. Without naming the movie, she told Zoom, "There was a Telugu movie I did where I had to marry my Mama (maternal uncle) in the movie. It was the most challenging movie. I hated everything about it."
In further updates, Janhvi starred opposite Ram Charan in Buchi Babu Sana's Peddi. Her portrayal became the subject of debate, with many criticising the camera angles and calling out makers objectification and sexualisation of her character.
On top of that, She spoke about it during her apperance on Koffee With Karan. She admitted that she could have been more vigilant while filming and acknowledged that the portrayal was problematic. She called the experience "violating" and shared, "I don’t like saying this because it sounds like I am shifting blame but it’s like you listen to the director and what he says. I was navigating how to make things less problematic as and when information was becoming available to me. In the south, very rarely there is a bound script. Very rarely do you see the camera angles. I should have taken advantage of my privilege. It was a violating experience in a way."
Vibha Maru is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Entertainment, based in Delhi. With a decade of experience across digital and print media, she covers Bollywood, Hollywood and web shows. A self-confessed cinephile who breathes Hindi cinema, Vibha can often be found sacrificing sleep after binge-watching films and web series. Though she holds a Commerce degree, she discovered her true calling in journalism after enrolling at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). She began her career covering Delhi's cultural scene, food, nightlife, concerts, and city life at The Times of India, before moving into full-time entertainment journalism with India Today. At India Today, Vibha interviewed some of the biggest names in Bollywood and television while carving a niche for herself through movie reviews, opinion pieces, nostalgic features, star interviews, and trend-driven stories. She later brought her storytelling and editorial expertise to The Indian Express, where she continued to deepen her understanding of cinema through long-form entertainment explainers, retrospectives and feature writing. Now, as Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times Entertainment, Vibha continues to chronicle the world of movies and pop culture. Her work spans breaking entertainment news, exclusive interviews, star features, and stories that capture the conversations shaping Indian cinema. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times