‘Param Sundari’ Movie Review: Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor’s Romance Drowns in This Racially Offensive Love Story (LatestLY Exclusive)

Param Sundari Movie Review: After watching the trailer of Param Sundari, Bollywood’s latest attempt at depicting cultural diversity down South with little awareness, I braced myself for the worst. I thought if I could survive The Kerala Story - a brazen propaganda film that demonised an entire state with Islamophobic fabrications and still leaves me fielding "is Kerala safe?" questions from Northie acquaintances - I could manage this. I was wrong. ‘Param Sundari’ Movie Review: Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor’s Easy Chemistry Is the Highlight of This Romcom, Say Critics.

To be fair, Param Sundari is not as vicious as The Kerala Story, at least not intentionally. This is, after all, meant to be a film celebrating cross-cultural love - and love without boundaries is something this country desperately needs. Yet when your research into Kerala seems limited to a basic Google search, when you cannot even get the casting right, Tushar Jalota’s second directorial feels like a mockery of what it sets out to be.

'Param Sundari' Movie Review - The Plot

Param (Sidharth Malhotra) is a Delhi brat determined to be a 'self-made man' with his rich father’s money. He sinks funds into failed tech start-ups before discovering a matchmaking app that claims to use data farming to find soulmates. Naturally, he ignores the moral ramifications of data collection, not to mention the existence of Bharat Matrimony or Shaadi.com, and tests the app himself. The algorithm points him to Sundari (Janhvi Kapoor). Not just Sundari - Thekkepattu Sundari Damodaram Pillai, because apparently every Malayali lives up to that old Dhamaal joke about long names.

Watch the Trailer of 'Param Sundari':

Sundari, an orphan who runs a homestay with her younger sister, initially resists Param’s charms. But after some rants about Northie stereotypes of the South, she, too, begins to fall for him. Just as Param prepares to confess why he sought her out, a dramatic twist derails their romance.

'Param Sundari' Movie Review - Culturally Offensive From Start to End

Param Sundari is supposed to be this breezy 2 States romance aimed at the younger generation, who they expect do not know that Kerala and Tamil Nadu are two different states. And if the movie draws in such an audience, the makers have infused some 'woke' moments that are tailored to call out the racial bias of their views. In trying to call out bias, it ends up committing the same sins it wants to critique - like the proverbial kettle calling the pot black.

From quite early on, the racial stereotyping in the name of humour is annoying. Sure, the idea is to show that Param and his friend have a complete lack of awareness about Kerala and its inhabitants, but the humour feels farcical and builds on the stereotypes around the state. Like, Param makes his friend believe a co-traveller on their plane is Malayali because of his dark skin. The film thinks that's a 'gotcha' moment. It isn't. And we cannot trust your intentions, because the next scene you have is a cab driver in Kochi driving them while drinking toddy.

In attempts to show the quirkiness of Kerala, the film presents the clichéd vision of the state and its culture through a racist lens. Kathakali dancers roam around every temple, Kalaripayattu is a must for every person, all Mallus are expert coconut climbers, and yes, they are all Mohanlal fans. A very Meenakshi Sundareshwar approach. And apparently, they do not know Shah Rukh Khan movies - even the younger generation - who are shown speaking in Hindi to each other even when Param is not around, like Sundari and her sister. It is another matter when Param sings "Ye Dil Deewana" from Pardes during a boat race, everyone joins in singing that.

'Param Sundari' Movie Review - Janhvi Kapoor's Miscasting

Language is another casualty. Janhvi Kapoor’s Malayalam is painfully unconvincing. Casting an actor from outside the state isn’t inherently wrong—if they put in the work. Abhay Deol’s Tamil diplomat in Shanghai worked; Shah Rukh Khan’s Tamilian in Ra.One didn’t. Unfortunately, Janhvi belongs in the latter category.

Unfortunately, Janhvi makes no such effort to convince as a local Malayali. At some event, the actress - while addressing the controversy around her casting - claimed that her character is half-Malayali, half-Tamilian. I think she made up that excuse on the spot; there is no reference to her mixed parentage in the film.

Even if we accept that flimsy reasoning, that is still no excuse to speak Malayalam in such a bad manner. I mean, you could have had all these characters say in Hindi, and I would be okay with that, like how Doordarshan once adapted the famous Thakazhi novel Kayar into a Hindi serial. This convoluted speaking is not acceptable.

I won’t blame Janhvi's lack of effort alone for this - the film’s casting is equally responsible. It is not only in the casting of Janhvi that they couldn't show respect to the character’s roots, but also in others - like her cousin Venu (played by Siddhartha Shankar, who is Tamilian) and her younger sister (played by Inayat Verma, a Punjabi).

'Param Sundari' Movie Review - More Offensive Tropes

Forget dialect, the movie doesn’t even get the geography right. Geography isn’t spared either: Sundari hails from a fictional Kuttanad village, yet the couple frolics by waterfalls far removed from Kerala’s backwaters. But as long as it looks good on screen, who cares? Sundar is also depicted as a Mohiniyattam pro max. I am no Mohiniyattam expert, but I can say with brazen confidence that even that is wrongly depicted in the film.

And since Kuttanadu is also known for its boat races, there is one near the climax so that Param can impress Sundari’s folks. Participants train for a whole year to compete in that race, but sure - let’s have a Delhi dude who rowed a boat once not only lead the race but also do so singing a Hindi song because the rhythm makes you row faster. Apparently, the makers have not heard of Vanchipattu either. Google that, will you? The scene is also lazily edited, so there's that. ‘Param Sundari’: Did You Know Tushar Jalota, Director of Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor’s Romcom, Had Played Hero in a Bollywood Movie? Find Out!

One wonders why none of the Malayalam actors in the cast, like Renji Panicker (slightly hammy) or Anand Manmadhan (wasted), were at least consulted to correct these glaring errors. At least Malayali cinematographer Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran presents the state in lush, if oversaturated, frames.

'Param Sundari' Movie Review - A Bland Love Story Thrown in the Mix

Okay, I know I have ranted too long. I won’t say this movie is intentionally racist; it is just too lazy to prove itself otherwise. As for the plot, narratively, Param Sundari reduces its love story to a diluted mix of DDLJ and Dil Chahta Hai, stripped of any emotional resonance. Even a 'mundu kettu scene' meant to echo a similar sequence in Swades falls flat without any of the sensual energy of the original.

As for the performances, I have said enough about Janhvi and how she is a clear example of lazy casting. Her co-star Sidharth Malhotra is more in a safe zone, cruising along on his good looks - the movie even throws in a random Mallu girl harassing him, because racism isn’t comedic enough, we need sexual harassment also to invoke laughter. Manjot Singh’s character is there to deliver offensive lines so that the movie can act 'woke' by countering him through Sundari. And then he is tagged in a random love story with a wasted Tanvi Ram, and does relatively little otherwise. Sanjay Kapoor is decent as Param's father.

Sachin-Jigar's soundtrack, save for the now hit "Pardesiya" song, is okay. Some of the songs feature lyrics that would compete with Vettaiyan’s "Manasilaayo" in garbling Malayalam words.

PS: Is it my eyes tricking me or did I spot Priya Prakash Varrier as a background extra during the scene after the interval?

'Param Sundari' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

There is a message in the film about how today’s generation is allowing apps and algorithms to decide matters of the heart. Unfortunately, Param Sundari itself feels like it is made out of an algorithm - all sheen, no emotions, and too much offence that trivialises a regional culture and offends sensibilities with lazy writing and shallow execution. Nothing param or sundar about this one.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 29, 2025 03:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).