Anu Aggarwal on Janhvi Kapoor's ‘Peddi’ row: 'Responsibility rests with actors...'

Veteran actress Anu Aggarwal, best known for her role in ‘Aashiqui’, has now entered the conversation around the ‘Peddi’ controversy. Janhvi Kapoor's portrayal in the recently released film has drawn criticism from a section of viewers who feel her character has been unnecessarily sexualised and objectified. With Janhvi yet to publicly address the backlash, Anu stepped in with a piece of advice for young actors navigating such situations, to "hear the story first, ask questions, and if something compromises human dignity, have the courage to say no."The actress did not just give advice; she spoke from her own life. She revealed that she had turned down many film offers and eventually left the industry because she refused to be part of something that disrespected women. On June 7, she took to Instagram and wrote, "The recent conversations around Peddi reminded me of a choice I made long ago. I applaud today's audience for speaking up and asking for more dignity in the portrayal of women. But responsibility does not rest only with the audience. Nor does it rest only with filmmakers. It rests with us actors too. More than 30 years ago, after Aashiqui, I made it a point to hear the story before signing a film."She further added, “Objectification of women was the norm. I chose to act against that norm. The films I did stand testimony to that choice. In many ways, that is one of the reasons I eventually walked away from films. Today, I encourage young actors and actresses to hear the story first. Ask questions. And if something compromises human dignity, have the courage to say no. Stories will change when audiences demand better. But they will also change when we actors refuse to participate in what we no longer believe in.”As the online criticism continued to grow louder, director Buchi Babu Sana finally broke his silence and addressed the controversy head-on. He took to social media to issue a public apology and also confirmed that the scenes at the centre of the backlash would be edited out of the film.