From set culture to language comfort, the actress has been unusually candid about what draws her to Tollywood — and why she sees her future there as much as in Hindi cinema.
There is a refreshing candour to Janhvi Kapoor these days. Ahead of the June 4 release of her second Telugu film Peddi — a ₹300 crore sports-action drama opposite Ram Charan — the actress has gone on record to say something rarely heard from a second-generation Hindi film star: she is enjoying working in Telugu cinema more than she expected, and she is not done with it anytime soon.
The statement is not mere promotional posturing. When you trace her trajectory over the last two years — from a stumbling Bollywood mid-table to becoming a legitimate pan-India face — the numbers and the quotes tell a consistent story.
The turning point: Devara changed everything
Before Devara: Part 1 (2024), Janhvi Kapoor's career graph was, to be honest, uneven. Her Bollywood debut Dhadak (2018) crossed ₹110 crore, but the films that followed — Roohi, Good Luck Jerry, Bawaal, Mr. & Mrs. Mahi — largely underperformed at the box office despite some critical appreciation for her acting.
Then came Devara, where she played a brief but memorable role alongside N. T. Rama Rao Jr. under director Koratala Siva. The film grossed over ₹500 crore, making it the highest-grossing film of her career by a significant margin. More than the numbers, it marked a full pivot in perception — from a nepotism-debated Bollywood starlet to someone the Telugu industry was willing to bank on in a leading capacity.
- ₹500 Cr+
Devara: Part 1 gross — Janhvi's biggest film ever
- ₹300 Cr
Budget of Peddi (2026), starring Ram Charan
- 2
Telugu films shot predominantly in Hyderabad
- ≤9 hrs
Maximum daily work hours in Tollywood, per Janhvi
Data compiled from Wikipedia, IANS, and TeluguCinema.com reports (2024–2026)
In her own words: "The work culture is superb"
"The work culture in Tollywood is superb. Here, they give a lot of importance to working hours. During lunch breaks, everyone takes proper rest and then returns to work with renewed energy. As far as I am concerned, I have never worked for more than nine hours a day."— Janhvi Kapoor, speaking to TeluguCinema.com during Peddi promotions, May 2026
This is a pointed comment. The Indian film industry — Bollywood in particular — has faced scrutiny over exhausting shoot schedules. Janhvi's observation that she has never crossed nine working hours on a Telugu set is striking not just as a personal preference, but as a structural contrast with how productions in Mumbai are often run.
Whether it is a deliberate production policy at major Tollywood houses or simply how Devara and Peddi's teams chose to operate, the actress clearly found it meaningful enough to mention repeatedly across interviews.
The language factor: Telugu "felt natural," Malayalam did not
Janhvi also recently wrapped Param Sundari, a Malayalam film — and came away humbled. Speaking to IANS in May 2026, she said she does not plan to attempt another Malayalam project because she found the language exceptionally difficult. In the same breath, she drew a clear contrast.
"I don't think I should attempt Malayalam again because it's too difficult for me. It's such a beautiful, sweet language. But I think I've been phonetically quite familiar with Tamil and Telugu. So, I'm really enjoying working in Telugu films. I'd love to explore Tamil films as well."— Janhvi Kapoor, IANS interview, May 30, 2026
There is something authentic about this admission. The phonetic familiarity she describes may partly trace back to her mother, the legendary Sridevi, who was herself a pan-language superstar — having delivered iconic performances in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi. It is plausible that growing up in that household gave Janhvi an unconscious ear for South Indian phonology, even if she did not pursue the connection deliberately.
Janhvi Kapoor on 'Peddi': Filmmaking is an act of service for audiences
— NationPress (@np_nationpress) June 1, 2026
Janhvi Kapoor calls filmmaking an 'act of service' ahead of Telugu debut 'Peddi', releasing 4 June. The actress says audience opinions help artists create better work.https://t.co/V1BQ5oOTo2 pic.twitter.com/EIf89QldkE
Bollywood slowdown, Tollywood ramp-up — the career math
Janhvi's Bollywood slate has quietened considerably. Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, her last Hindi release, was not a box-office event. No major new Hindi productions have been formally announced for the near term. Meanwhile, her Tollywood pipeline is full: Peddi arrives on June 4, she is reportedly in advanced talks for a role in Allu Arjun and Atlee's upcoming sci-fi film, and the industry is watching her next moves closely.
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What this means: A new template for crossover careers
There is a broader pattern here worth noting. For decades, pan-India crossovers meant South Indian stars moving to Bollywood — Chiranjeevi, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas (post-Baahubali). Janhvi's trajectory represents the emerging reverse flow: a Bollywood actress finding bigger commercial success, more disciplined working conditions, and a warmer reception in Tollywood.
It is not just her. Tamannaah Bhatia, Rashmika Mandanna, and Pooja Hegde have all built viable dual-market careers. What is different about Janhvi's case is how openly she has spoken about the qualitative differences in work culture — something that is usually left unsaid for fear of alienating the Mumbai industry.
That frankness, combined with genuine commercial results in Telugu cinema, suggests her relationship with Tollywood is not an experiment. It looks increasingly like a cornerstone of her career's second chapter.
What happens next
Peddi, directed by Buchi Babu Sana (of Uppena fame) and featuring a cast that includes Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, Divyenndu, and Boman Irani, arrives in cinemas on June 4, 2026. The AR Rahman score has already generated buzz. Janhvi plays Achiyamma — a grounded, village-set role that demands far more of her than her brief appearance in Devara did.
How Peddi performs will be crucial. A second Tollywood success would essentially confirm Janhvi Kapoor as a bankable pan-India actress. A stumble would test whether this enthusiasm for Telugu cinema survives a market setback. Either way, the direction of travel is clear: Janhvi Kapoor has found a film industry that suits her, and she is leaning into it.
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