The trailer of 'Param Sundari, starring Janhvi Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra, dropped recently and instantly grabbed attention for the duo’s fresh chemistry and breezy romance in Tushar Jalota’s directorial, produced by Dinesh Vijan. While fans lauded the lighthearted tone and pairing, criticism emerged over Janhvi’s portrayal of a Malayali girl.

Several netizens felt the representation was stereotypical, highlighting the overuse of cultural clichés like jasmine flowers and traditional dance imagery. Malayali actor Pavithra Menon openly questioned Janhvi’s casting through an Instagram video. Interestingly, the post was taken down but later re-uploaded.

Influencers Call Out ‘Incorrect Malayalam’

Malayali influencer Divya Nair also expressed disappointment with the film’s dialogue delivery. In a conversation with Mid Day, she said, “Poor diction can sometimes be forgiven, but here, the Malayalam words itself aren’t clear or correct. The film was shot in Kerala on a massive budget. Why couldn’t the makers spend a fraction of that money on hiring a local dialect coach?”

Citing an example from the trailer, she added, “In the scene where Janhvi introduces herself as Theykkapetta Sundari Damodaran Pillai, the result is unintentionally hilarious as in Malayalam, ‘Theykkapetta’ is slang for someone dumped.”

‘Bollywood Had Better Options’

Divya further criticised the casting choices, stating, “The surname is wrong — she pronounces it as ‘Pillai’, whereas in Malayalam, it’s pronounced ‘Pilla’. Bollywood had better options. Nayanthara, Keerthy Suresh, Nithya Menen, Sai Pallavi, or Samantha [Ruth Prabhu] put in effort and respect the languages they work in. They would have done justice to the role.”

Janhvi Kapoor Responds to Criticism

Responding to the backlash, Janhvi addressed the issue during the film’s promotional run. The actor explained that her character is not fully Malayali but of mixed heritage. “My character Sundari is half Tamilian and half Malayali,” she clarified, adding that neither she nor her late mother, superstar Sridevi, were from Kerala themselves.

In the film, Janhvi essays the role of Sundari, while Sidharth Malhotra plays a Delhi boy named Param. Param Sundari releases in theatres on August 29.