August 29, 2025: Param Sundari Review: 3.5/5 : Walking into Param Sundari, I was hoping for a fresh spin on the classic North-meets-South rom-com. With Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor headlining, and a promising premise involving a dating app and cultural clashes, expectations were understandably high. But like the algorithm at the heart of the film, the results are mixed.
Chemistry Meets Cliché
Param Sundari starts off with a clever enough idea: Param (Sidharth), a data-obsessed rich boy from the North, tests a matchmaking app that sends him to a sleepy town in Kerala to meet Sundari (Janhvi), his supposed soulmate. What follows is a touristy trip through stereotypes, toddy, elephants, boat races, coconut trees, and a romance that occasionally sparkles but never truly catches fire.
Sidharth and Janhvi look good together, no doubt. They click in the Instagram Reel sort of way. Their chemistry, though charming in moments, often feels more curated than lived-in. While Sidharth plays Param with a familiar confused-boy energy, Janhvi shines in brief flashes, especially in the emotional scenes and when channeling her mother’s grace. But the script doesn’t allow her to fully break free from caricature.
Cracking Coconuts, Not Hearts
The writing team of Param Sundari gives us all the ingredients of a masala rom-com but forgets the heart. There are laughs, mostly courtesy of Abhishek Banerjee and the endearing local characters (loved the “Mallu Majnus”), but the emotional stakes are wafer-thin. The cultural comedy sometimes borders on cringe, and the South Indian setting, instead of adding depth, is reduced to a travel brochure backdrop.
Janhvi’s character had the potential to be so much more. She’s not just the girl-next-door who runs a homestay; she throws coconut choppers and delivers woke one-liners. Yet the screenplay keeps her boxed in, reducing her to tropes just when you expect more nuance.
Param Sundari : Sidharth & Janhvi Shine in a Shallow Love Story
The Sachin-Jigar soundtrack is serviceable, with “Pardesiya” being the standout, made better by Sonu Nigam’s nostalgic voice. It adds a sweet, old-school charm. But it’s not enough to elevate the film above its predictable trajectory.
Sanjay Kapoor’s late appearance brings some much-needed energy, but it feels like a band-aid on a film that needed surgery.