Growing up as the children of Indian cinema’s biggest superstars, Janhvi Kapoor and Ram Charan had remarkably ordinary childhoods — thanks to their parents, the legendary Sridevi and Megastar Chiranjeevi, who made conscious efforts to keep their stardom away from home.
In a joint promotional interview for their upcoming film Peddi, the actors opened up about how they were completely oblivious to their parents’ monumental fame while growing up .
Janhvi on Sridevi: ‘The most superwoman-like thing she would do’
Recalling her late mother, Janhvi shared a heartwarming anecdote that perfectly captures how Sridevi prioritized being a hands-on parent over being a superstar.
“For us, the most superwoman-like thing she would do was like on a Friday, she would go to the fish market and select which pomfret we should have, and we’d be like, ‘Oh my god, yeah,’” Janhvi said .
She explained that Sridevi took immense pride in caring for her family in the smallest ways. “She would take pride in doing all of this. So, this whole aspect of her life was very far from us,” Janhvi added .
The actor admitted that she only truly discovered the scale of her mother’s legacy after entering the film industry herself. “I started discovering what she meant to people as I’ve gotten to working myself,” she said .
Ram Charan: ‘I was scared to touch cinema magazines’
Ram Charan echoed similar sentiments about his father, Megastar Chiranjeevi, revealing that his childhood home was strictly shielded from the film industry’s glamour.
“Since I was a kid, I was aloof and ignorant. With my father, all the awards, all the magazines had to stop near the office. We were very scared to touch cinema magazines. So, we literally don’t know how big our dad is,” Ram Charan said .
He also shared that he was initially too afraid to tell his father about his own acting ambitions. “I didn’t even tell my dad I was interested in being an actor. I used to pretend I wanted to be a mechanical engineer. I was scared he’d hit me and ask me to study,” he admitted .
Sridevi’s legacy: ‘Close to impossible to recreate’
Janhvi also addressed the inevitable comparisons with her mother, acknowledging that recreating Sridevi’s generational impact is a near-impossible task for anyone.
“Forget me, for anyone to recreate that is close to impossible. I know that I am doing my work with honesty. It means a lot to me. So, I am trying to map my own journey,” Janhvi said .
However, she added that the goodwill attached to Sridevi’s name has brought her opportunities she remains thankful for. “A lot of her goodwill has come on to me and has given me a lot of opportunities which I’m thankful for,” she stated .
About Peddi
Directed by Buchi Babu Sana and featuring music by AR Rahman, Peddi marks the first on-screen collaboration between Janhvi Kapoor and Ram Charan. The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on June 4, 2026 .
