Actor Janhvi Kapoor has drawn criticism on social media after her comments about bound scripts in South Indian cinema sparked a debate about how films are developed and how women are portrayed on screen. Her remarks came during a recent episode of Koffee with Karan Season 9, where she discussed the reaction to her role in the upcoming Telugu film Peddi, starring Ram Charan.

AdvertisementThe Puranic

According to reports, Janhvi suggested that bound scripts are rare in South Indian cinema. A bound script is a complete screenplay prepared before filming, helping actors and filmmakers understand the story, characters and dialogue in advance.

Her comment prompted questions from online users, with critics arguing that grouping the Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam film industries together overlooks their differences. Some also questioned whether her experience across a limited number of South Indian projects was enough to support such a broad observation.

The discussion also turned to Janhvi’s role in Peddi and concerns about the sexualisation of women in commercial cinema. Critics questioned how her remarks related to the portrayal of female characters and the kinds of scripts she chooses. Others focused on what they viewed as a generalisation about filmmaking practices across several industries.

Janhvi has appeared in Telugu cinema through projects including Devara: Part 1 and Peddi. Her comments have renewed discussion about the differences between an actor’s personal experience on film sets and the wider working practices of an entire industry.

The backlash highlights how comments made during celebrity interviews can quickly become larger conversations about representation, creative decisions and regional cinema. However, social media criticism does not necessarily reflect the views of every filmmaker or audience member, and the reported remarks alone do not establish how frequently bound scripts are used across South Indian film industries.