The Peddi movie puts Ram Charan in the role of a village athlete fighting for his hamlet’s place on the map, with an A R Rahman score and an estimated ₹135 crore opening day. Here are seven things to know before you stream it.
The Peddi movie is a Telugu sports drama written and directed by Buchi Babu Sana, starring Ram Charan with Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar and Jagapathi Babu. It opened in cinemas on 4 June 2026 and grossed about ₹336 crore worldwide, according to Wikipedia’s tally.
It has streamed on Netflix since 9 July 2026, launching in four South Indian languages. Critics were divided, but Ram Charan’s performance was widely praised.
Peddi movie at a glance
- Release date: 4 June 2026, after moving from 27 March
- Director and writer: Buchi Babu Sana
- Producer: Venkata Satish Kilaru for Vriddhi Cinemas, presented by Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings
- Cast: Ram Charan, Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu and Divyenndu
- Music: A R Rahman
- Runtime: 194 minutes
- Worldwide gross: about ₹336 crore
- Streaming: Netflix, from 9 July 2026
1. The Peddi movie is a rural underdog story
The film opens in 2016, when a sports ministry official, stung by India’s poor Olympic showing, travels to a remote hilltop village in Andhra Pradesh. Local athletes there credit a man called Peddi as their inspiration.
The story then moves back to 1994 and an undocumented tribal hamlet in the Vizianagaram region. Peddi is a gifted cricketer who plays for wages, and later trains as a wrestler, while his village fights for official recognition from a government that does not know it exists.
Without giving too much away, a turn of events ends his wrestling career and sends him into para-athletics. It is an underdog sports film in the classic mould, built around a big, physical lead performance.
2. Ram Charan leads a pan-Indian cast
Ram Charan plays the title role, and the supporting cast draws from across Indian cinema. Kannada star Shiva Rajkumar plays Gournaidu, the wrestling coach who becomes Peddi’s mentor, and Jagapathi Babu plays Appalasoori, whose petitions for the village’s recognition drive the story.
Janhvi Kapoor plays Achiyamma, Peddi’s love interest, in her latest Telugu role. You can revisit Janhvi Kapoor’s Peddi first look for her introduction to the character.
Boman Irani plays the sports ministry official who frames the story, while Divyenndu, Ravi Kishan and Rao Ramesh fill out the supporting roles, and Shruti Haasan appears in the special song “Hellallallo”. Vijay Sethupathi was offered a role but turned it down.
3. A R Rahman composed the songs and the score
Rahman came on board in January 2024 and had three tracks ready by March that year. T-Series bought the global music rights for a reported ₹35 crore.
The singles rolled out over seven months: “Chikiri Chikiri” sung by Mohit Chauhan in November 2025, “Rai Rai Raa Raa” sung by Rahman himself in March 2026, then “Hellallallo” and “Massa Massa” in the final weeks of May.
Gulf audiences know Rahman well beyond Indian cinema: his music also features in the Emirati horror thriller Baab, as our report on the Baab UAE premiere covers.
4. The Peddi movie was years in the making
Ram Charan and Buchi Babu Sana confirmed their collaboration in November 2022. Chiranjeevi launched the project on 20 March 2024 under the working title RC16, and the title Peddi was revealed in March 2025.
Filming began in Mysuru on 22 November 2024 and moved through Hyderabad, Pune, Kanyakumari and Sri Lanka. It wrapped at the end of April 2026, after Ram Charan picked up a minor injury in March.
The planned 27 March 2026 release was pushed back for post-production. R. Rathnavelu shot the film and Naveen Nooli edited it, with a reported budget of ₹250 to 275 crore.
5. Peddi movie box office: a huge opening
The film opened in Telugu with simultaneous Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam versions, and in premium formats including IMAX and 4DX. It took an estimated ₹135.36 crore worldwide on day one, passed ₹233 crore over its extended opening weekend and reached ₹320 crore by the end of week two.
Final figures vary. Wikipedia’s infobox lists about ₹336 crore, while some trade tracking put the worldwide total at ₹400 crore by day 21, so treat any final number as an estimate. Hombale Films handled overseas distribution, and the Peddi movie carried a U/A certificate in India after minor dialogue changes. It opened in a crowded June that Variety India’s preview described as a month with major releases every week.
6. Reviews were mixed, and a controversy followed
Critics praised Ram Charan, Shiva Rajkumar and Jagapathi Babu, and most criticised the screenplay and the three-hour-plus runtime. Pinkvilla gave it 2.5 out of 5 and called it a passable watch, while noting of Ram Charan that “the maturity he brings to the role is beautiful to witness”.
The film also drew backlash over how it portrayed Janhvi Kapoor’s character, with critics objecting to invasive camera angles and a non-consensual romantic scene. Buchi Babu Sana apologised, said any disrespect towards women was unintended and confirmed the sections were modified and trimmed.
7. The Peddi movie streams on Netflix
Netflix holds the exclusive post-theatrical rights. It announced the film “out 9 July” in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam, with Hindi to follow, as Deccan Chronicle reported.
Catalogues can differ by country, so viewers in the UAE should search for it in the Netflix app. At over three hours, the Peddi movie is best saved for a relaxed weekend.
Peddi movie FAQs
When did the Peddi movie release?
It opened in cinemas on 4 June 2026, in Telugu with dubbed versions in four other languages.
Is Peddi on Netflix?
Yes. Netflix has streamed Peddi since 9 July 2026. Check the Netflix app for availability in the UAE.
Who composed the music for Peddi?
A R Rahman composed both the songs and the background score.
Full credits and box office details are on the Peddi Wikipedia page. For more Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam cinema, explore our South Cinema section.