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AR Rahman’s Peddi Push Meets Online Backlash Over Ties to POCSO-Accused Choreographer

The composer’s visible association with choreographer Jani Master—who faces POCSO-related charges, is out on bail—has prompted pointed questions about consistency in industry accountability.

Overview

  • Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor made an unannounced appearance at Rahman’s Hyderabad concert, where Chikiri Chikiri was performed live to a packed crowd.
  • The first single from Peddi logged about 46 million views within 24 hours and crossed roughly 50–53 million views by around 35–36 hours, fueling the film’s promotional momentum.
  • Photos and posts showing Rahman with Jani drew criticism on social media, with users contrasting the collaboration against Rahman’s earlier distancing from accused figures such as Vairamuthu and singer Karthik.
  • Cyberabad police arrested Jani Master in September 2024, later added POCSO counts based on the complainant’s statement, his National Film Award was suspended by the I&B Ministry, and he is currently on bail.
  • Peddi, billed as a rustic sports drama directed by Buchi Babu Sana and set for a March 27, 2026 theatrical release, also drew fresh attention as Ram Gopal Varma praised Ram Charan’s ‘raw, real and explosive’ turn in the viral song.