Janhvi Kapoor climbs 3,550 Tirupati steps barefoot on Peddi release day
The actress visited Tirumala temple before Peddi opened to strong box office numbers
Dubai: On the morning her film released, Janhvi Kapoor was not at a special screening or a press event. She was barefoot on a mountain, climbing 3,550 steps to the Tirumala temple in Tirupati.
Videos surfaced online in the early hours of Thursday showing the actress making her way up the Alipiri footpath alongside her aunt, actor Maheshwari. There was nothing glamorous about the journey. She wore a simple kurta-pyjama, had her hair tied up in a bun, earphones in, and tackled the gruelling climb entirely barefoot. Clips along the way showed her taking quick breathers and stopping to greet fellow devotees who recognised her on the trail.
A ritual she keeps returning to
For Janhvi, Tirumala is not a one-time destination. It has become her constant across milestones, birthdays, big releases and personal moments. She has spoken openly about feeling most connected to her late mother Sridevi in two places: on a film set, and at Tirupati. The visit on the morning of Peddi's release was, in that context, about far more than seeking blessings for a film.
Once she completed the climb, she emerged at the temple in a stunning purple silk saree, accessorised with a full set of matching jewellery including a necklace, earrings, bangles and a waist belt, finished with a bindi and a neat half-up hairstyle. The contrast between the barefoot trek and the elegant temple darshan look made for a moment that went viral almost immediately.
Meanwhile, the theatres were already celebrating
While Janhvi was offering prayers in Tirupati, the rest of the country was already deep into release day festivities. At Hyderabad's Sree Ramulu Theatre, Ram Charan's wife Upasana Kamineni Konidela chose to skip private screenings and watch the film directly with fans, videos showing her throwing confetti and cheering alongside a packed crowd the moment her husband appeared on screen.
In Bengaluru, massive crowds had gathered outside theatres hours before the first show, flanking giant cut-outs of the star with non-stop chanting and firecrackers turning the streets into a full celebration before a single frame had even played.
The film itself is off to a strong start
Peddi opened to enormous numbers. By 11am on its first day, the film had already pulled in Rs 10.97 crore net in India, with the native Telugu version doing the bulk of the work. Pre-release, the film had sold over 82 lakh tickets across India, generating Rs 20 crore gross in advance bookings before release, ballooning to Rs 33 crore when blocked seats are included.
The film carries a reported production budget of Rs 350 crore, with analysts placing the commercial hit threshold at Rs 500 crore worldwide. Based on how the opening day is tracking, that target looks firmly within reach.
Directed by Buchi Babu Sana with music by AR Rahman, Peddi stars Ram Charan in the lead role alongside Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, Boman Irani and Divyenndu. It is in cinemas now.
