Megastar Chiranjeevi turned emotional while speaking about his son, Ram Charan, at the success celebration event of Peddi on Tuesday. Recalling an injury Charan suffered during the film’s shoot, the veteran actor revealed that the accident came dangerously close to causing permanent damage. He also described Peddi as one of the finest performances of Charan’s career and said he felt immense pride watching his son’s dedication to the role.
Speaking about the injury, Chiranjeevi told the media that he was shaken when he first saw a photograph of the wound. The actor revealed that Charan required eight stitches after the incident and was told that the injury could have been far worse.
“I was terrified when I saw the picture. He needed eight stitches. The doctors told us that if the impact had landed a little lower, he could have lost his eye. Thankfully, it struck his eyebrow instead,” Chiranjeevi said.
The veteran actor added that the incident reminded him of his own experience while filming Gunda, when his father had been worried about watching him perform a dangerous action sequence under a moving train. Chiranjeevi recalled how his father had told him that he would only understand a parent’s anguish when his own son became a hero and faced similar hardships. He said those words came back to him when Charan was injured during Peddi.
“I felt proud as a father and an actor”
Chiranjeevi then went on to praise Charan’s work in the film, calling it one of the most complete performances of his career. He said he felt proud not only as a father, but also as a co-star and senior actor.
According to Chiranjeevi, Charan displayed maturity across every aspect of the performance, including action, dance, emotion, intensity and complete immersion into the character. He said that while watching the film, he did not see Ram Charan on screen, but only Peddi.
Ram Charan’s preparation for Peddi
The actor also highlighted the immense effort Charan put into preparing for the role. He said that despite being born into a film family and enjoying the privileges that came with it, Charan chose the harder path instead of taking shortcuts.
Chiranjeevi recalled seeing the actor’s transformation unfold at home every day. He said Charan would wake up at 4 am to train before heading to the sets, return home late at night, have some soup without even freshening up, and then continue training. The actor admitted that he often wondered whether such a gruelling routine was necessary, but said he could not help admiring his son’s commitment.
“He didn’t have to do all this. He could have simply followed the director’s instructions and moved on. But he chose to work harder and push himself every day,” Chiranjeevi said.
“Watching Peddi felt like a trance”
Reflecting on Peddias a film, Chiranjeevi said the experience of watching it left him deeply moved. He described feeling as though he had entered a trance and travelled alongside the characters through their struggles and emotions.
The actor placed Peddi alongside some of Charan’s most celebrated performances, including Magadheera, Rangasthalam and RRR. He said many believed it would take years for another role of Rangasthalam’s calibre to come along, making the arrival of a character like Peddiwithin a few years all the more remarkable.
Closing his speech, Chiranjeevi said Peddishowcased Charan’s artistic maturity and ability to completely surrender to a character. He added that the film made audiences laugh, cry, cheer and connect emotionally, leaving him proud both as an actor and as a father.
Directed by Buchi Babu Sana, Peddi released in theatres on June 4 and follows the journey of a young man from a rural background who overcomes personal and social challenges through sport and resilience. The film blends action, drama and emotion, with Ram Charan’s transformation and performance emerging as major talking points. The film also features Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, Boman Irani and Divyendu Sharma in prominent roles.
– Ends
MUST WATCH:
