Love lost in tropes? Param Sundari sparks debate on South Indian portrayals in Bollywood

The trailer of Param Sundari, a Hindi musical romance with Janhvi Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra, was marketed as a celebration of cross-cultural love. Instead, it has triggered backlash from Malayali audiences over Bollywood’s reliance on clichés. Alleged takedowns of critical Instagram videos have only intensified the debate around authenticity, censorship, and representation.



What happened?
Malayali influencers are flooding social media with biting reactions to Param Sundari, slamming Janhvi Kapoor’s “inauthentic” accent and attire in the film. The row escalated after singer-RJ Pavithra Menon’s video questioning the casting was taken down on a copyright complaint by Maddock Films.
Menon reposted the clip — mocking the takedown with a sarcastic “Happy Independence Day” jab — and it went viral. Soon, other influencers like Vedangi.X reported similar strikes, accusing the makers of “silencing” criticism and “capitalising on Kerala’s culture without research.”

Accents, attire & anguish: The flashpoints behind Malayali outrage
Critics say the trailer reduces Kerala to clichés. Janhvi Kapoor’s character name, “Thekkapatil Damodaran Sundari Pillai,” has been ridiculed as implausible, her mispronunciation of “Malayalam” mocked, and the postcard shots of backwaters, boat races, and Mohiniyattam dismissed as stereotypes. Many also feel her look and mannerisms lean more Tamil than Malayali. Observers argue that Bollywood is recycling old caricatures, drawing comparisons to Chennai Express and The Kerala Story. The overwhelming sentiment is: “It’s 2025. People know how Malayalis talk and live. We don’t just wear jasmine flowers everywhere.”

The counterpoint: What fans are rooting for
Not all reactions have been critical. Some viewers say the trailer is “their kind of Bollywood,” while inside the production, Kapoor’s effort has been praised as meticulous. Dialect coach Sheba Raju called her performance “perfect,” applauding her grip on accent and diction. Raju also revealed that the character is written as half-Malayali, half-Tamil — a detail, the supporters argue explains why audiences felt her look and mannerisms leaned Tamilian.

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