New Delhi: The teaser of Peddi, starring Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor, was released on Wednesday, introducing the Telugu superstar in a rugged new avatar as a sportsperson balancing cricket, wrestling, and high-voltage action peppered with the flavour of South Indian mass entertainers. The film also marks Ram Charan’s first collaboration with Buchi Babu Sana, who has written and directed the film.
The 25-second teaser shows Ram Charan as a fierce rural athlete navigating both cricket field and wrestling arena, hinting at a story that blends sports, revenge, and community politics. The film also stars Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, and Divyendu Sharma.
Telugu cinema has seen sports dramas perform strongly both critically and commercially over the years. Films such as Sye (2004), directed by SS Rajamouli, used rugby as a backdrop for student politics and mass action. A1 Express (2021) and Lakshya (2021) explored hockey and archery, respectively, through emotionally driven narratives.
Over the years, Bollywood has experimented with the sports drama genre and seen mixed commercial results. While Aamir Khan’s Dangal (2016) and Salman Khan’s Sultan (2016) emerged as both critically acclaimed and commercially successful projects, films like Jhund (2022) earned just around Rs 23 crore worldwide, hardly recovering its reported budget. Maidaan (2024), starring Ajay Devgn, grossed approximately Rs 72 crore worldwide against a reported budget exceeding Rs 100 crore.
Similarly, Shahid Kapoor’s 2022 film Jersey, which is the Hindi remake of the Telugu film of the same name, reportedly earned around Rs 30 crore despite a budget of close to Rs 80 crore. In contrast, the original Jersey (2019), starring Nani, grossed Rs 40 crore against a budget of Rs 20 crore and was declared a box office blockbuster.
So did the Malayalam film Alappuzha Gymkhana (2025), which reportedly collected approximately Rs 70 crore worldwide with a budget of just Rs 12 crore, making it one of the most profitable sports dramas in Malayalam film industry.
A major reason South Indian sports dramas have connected with audiences is their rooted storytelling. Unlike many Bollywood sports films that focus heavily on biographical narratives, South films often blend sports with local politics, creating a wider theatrical appeal.
The teaser of Peddi hints that the film may not remain restricted to sports alone. Along with cricket and wrestling sequences, the visuals suggest themes of rebellion, aggression, and action, elements that have become a successful formula in southern cinema.
The trailer launch of the film is scheduled for 18 May in Mumbai. The film will hit the theatres on 4 June.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)