I just got back from watching "Param Sundari 2025" and oh my god, what a ride! I mean, I really had high hopes for this one, mostly 'cause Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, right? Such a fresh pairing, and they actually delivered, mostly.
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| (Photo Credit: BookMyShow) Param Sundari 2025 |
So, the movie came out today, like, literally today, August 29, 2025. It's a rom-com, which is my absolute favorite kind of movie, but it also had a lot of drama and family stuff thrown in, which I wasn't totally expecting but it was fine, I guess. Tushar Jalota directed it, and Dinesh Vijan from Maddock Films produced it. You know, the guys who made "Stree" and all those other good ones? Yeah, them!
Okay, so the story is basically about this Delhi boy, Param (played by Sidharth), who's like, super into tech and apps and everything digital. His dad, who is Sanjay Kapoor (he's looking so good for his age, by the way!), challenges him to find his soulmate using this AI matrimonial app within a month. If he does, he gets an investment for his own dating app idea. Like, seriously, what a way to get funding, haha! So Param goes to Kerala, which is, like, God's Own Country, and he finds Sundari (Janhvi Kapoor). She's this half-Tamilian, half-Malayali girl who's, like, super traditional and rooted in her culture.
The whole "North meets South" thing reminded me a bit of "Chennai Express," but the filmmakers kept saying it's totally different, and it kinda was. There were a lot of funny moments because of their cultural clashes, and the scenery in Kerala was absolutely gorgeous. Seriously, I wanna go there now!
Sidharth Malhotra was really charming as Param. He has that easy-going vibe that just works for these kinds of roles. And Janhvi Kapoor, wow, she looked stunning! Like, really stunning. Her character Sundari was strong and independent, which I loved. Their chemistry was, like, palpable! You could totally feel the sparks flying. My friend sitting next to me even nudged me when they had a super cute scene, it was adorable.
The music by Sachin-Jigar was also a highlight. "Pardesiya" and "Bheegi Saari" are already stuck in my head. Sonu Nigam, Adnan Sami, and Shreya Ghoshal's voices just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It's the kind of music you'd want to listen to on a long drive, you know?
On The whole "Accent" Thing
Honestly, it wasn't just me. A bunch of people online were also saying that Janhvi's Malayalam accent was a bit, well, messy. It wasn't consistently good, you know? Sometimes it sounded perfect, like she'd been practicing for months, and then other times it was like she just learned the phrases from a YouTube video ten minutes before the take. I mean, bless her heart, she tried! You could tell she was putting in the effort. But a lot of her pronunciations felt a little forced, and it kinda pulled me out of the moment a couple of times. Like, when she said "entha" or "alle," it just didn't sound like a real native speaker. It's a tricky language, for sure. But when you have someone like Sidharth who has to learn a different kind of accent for a role, and he does it so well, you just notice the difference more. It's a small thing, but for a movie that's so focused on a cross-cultural love story, the details should be spot on.
And The "Cultural" Stuff...
This is the one that really got me thinking. The movie's got all these beautiful shots of Kerala—the backwaters, the green fields, everything is just so pretty. But some of the cultural bits felt a little... generic. Like they just went off a checklist of "What do people know about Kerala?"
For example, the jasmine flowers. Yes, a lot of women in South India wear them, but in the movie, it felt like Sundari was wearing them in every single scene, no matter what she was doing. It felt less like a personal tradition and more like a costume prop. And the family felt a little bit like a caricature. They were all super traditional and loved their food and rituals, and sure, that's a part of it, but it's not all of it. It’s like when you see a Bollywood movie about Punjabis, and everyone is either drinking lassi or dancing to a bhangra song. It’s a little too on-the-nose sometimes, you know?
Final Thoughts
Now, for the slightly not-so-great bits. Janhvi's Malayalam accent... well, it was a bit, um, different. Some people online were saying it wasn't quite right, and I gotta agree, it felt a little off in places. It didn't totally ruin the movie for me, but it was noticeable. Also, there were a few moments where the "traditional South Indian" portrayal felt a tiny bit stereotypical. Like, does every Malayali woman really wear jasmine in her hair all the time? Just saying! But overall, it was a breezy, feel-good watch. The first half was engaging, with lots of laughs, and the drama picked up in the second half. It's a proper paisa-vasool film, especially if you're into old-school romance with a fresh twist. I'd say go watch it if you're looking for a good time at the cinema!
These are nit-picky things, I know. And they didn't completely ruin the film, because the story was still cute and Sidharth and Janhvi had great chemistry. But they definitely kept it from being, like, a classic. It was good, but it could have been great if they'd paid a bit more attention to those small, authentic details.
I'm curious, have you seen any other movies where the cultural portrayal felt a bit off?
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