Regena Cassandra says Janhvi Kapoor creating ‘North-South divide’ by calling out Peddi

Regena Cassandra has spoken out on the controversy surrounding Janhvi Kapoor's comments about the Telugu film industry, specifically regarding her role in Peddi. She questioned why actresses who are uncomfortable with their portrayal do not simply walk away from the project. Cassandra also warned that Janhvi's remarks about the North-South divide could exacerbate the existing tension between North and South Indian cinema.

In an interview with India Today, she was responding to Janhvi's admission on Koffee With Karan that her role in Peddi amounted to objectification and that she should have stood up more during filming. Cassandra stated, "At the end of the day, I am glad they are talking about it. But the problem is that when a North Indian actor talks about South cinema like that, I have a big problem with it.

You cannot do that. You are creating a North-South divide without even realizing it, and that is absolutely wrong." She added, "There are different ways of handling these issues and different ways of talking about them. There is already a North-South divide, and I say this as a South Indian actor who works in the Hindi film industry."

During the same interview, Regena revealed that Dharma Productions had not included her in the promotional campaign for Kesari Chapter 2, even though she played Akshay Kumar's wife in the film. Janhvi Kapoor has spoken about feeling objectified and lacking agency on set, but Cassandra echoed those sentiments while adding that the issue is being framed along regional lines, which she believes deepens the divide. She urged actresses to continue speaking up without bringing up regional differences.