Netizens are having a field day as trolls and memes around Param Sundari take the internet by storm. The film, though initially won praises for its song Pardesiya, crooned by Sonu Nigam and Krishnakali Saha, and featuring Sidharth Malhotra and Jhanvi Kapoor against the lush backdrop of a beautiful tea plantation, it soon stirred a debate over the absurdly long name of the latter’s character and, more significantly, its stereotyping of South Indians – something many argue goes well beyond artistic freedom. The row echoes the sentiments surrounding Bollywood films like Chennai Express, which was criticised for its portrayal of Tamil culture, and The Kerala Story, which received a National Award but faced backlash for its misrepresentation and exaggeration of certain cultural-political aspects.
As Param Sundari hit screens on Friday, influencers and enthusiasts buzz with opinions. Beyond the jokes and criticism, the question remains: Did Param Sundari perpetuate existing stereotypes, or can it be viewed as a mere source of entertainment?
As a director, Tushar Jalota failed to show Jahnvi’s character with soul, which is underlined by the nativity. In cinemas, casting a person from a particular area of the story, which is geographically demanding, would be the right choice, and that will fulfil the character’s features authentically. Or he could have trained the selected artiste to do the particular character as described in the script. In my opinion, these are the factors that we need to keep in mind while portraying a character to represent a place or an event. Or else such misrepresentation will continue to happen when directors don’t take stories seriously and focus only on the artiste’s satellite value. Now, people value money more than art – it’s all about business now.
Bollywood has always had a bit of a habit of slotting South Indians into certain boxes, and while things are slowly changing, you still see the same stereotypes pop up now and then. Of course, filmmakers should have the freedom to tell the stories they want to, but that freedom also comes with responsibility. For people who don’t know much about the South, these portrayals can end up shaping their whole perception. Which is why it would be great to see more layered, authentic stories that actually reflect the richness of life in the South. That said, I’d like to share a fuller perspective once I’ve seen the film.
I feel that stereotypes around South Indian culture are prevalent in Bollywood even in 2025. Despite much progress that Malayalam cinema has made over the past few years, Bollywood somehow fails to appreciate the cultural value. When the nation is already divided over north-south differences, not respecting cultural heritage is only going to exacerbate the issue. Being a Malayalee, I know that we would’ve appreciated it more than the repercussions if our culture and language were not butchered for a movie. Hindi, as a commonly used language in different states, gives it a lot of power, especially in cinema. I wish this power were put to bridging the differences instead of purely monetising the audience.
I’ve always felt that in the late 2000s to the 2010s, there was a genuine effort in Bollywood to make meaningful films without offending people. There was thought put into storytelling, an attempt to tell real, grounded stories, even in commercial cinema. Today, with anti-intellectualism on the rise, films seem to be getting significantly dumbed down. Everything is based on tried and tested formulae. The persistence of outdated stereotypes, I believe, is a result of this. This is the same Bollywood that has portrayed positive, realistic Malayalee characters without stereotypes in films like Dil Se, Chef, Qarib Qarib Single, and Karwaan. It’s not that Bollywood doesn’t know how to do it; it’s that they don’t care and prioritise profit.
From the trailer and songs released so far, Param Sundari appears to be the film audiences are waiting for – colourful and lighthearted. Pardesiya, captures that nostalgic Bollywood energy while still feeling fresh. Bollywood audiences have always loved dramatic and celebratory films; just look at hits like Two States and Chennai Express, which entertained audiences and performed well at the box office. While criticism has its place, cinema is ultimately about joy, escape, and entertainment. It’s best to enjoy it for what it is, rather than overanalyse.
Take Meenamma from Chennai Express or the recent Param Sundari trailer with ‘Thekkapetta Sundari Damodaran Pillai’, even the pronunciation is a whole puzzle. Instead of moving forward, Bollywood just rewraps the same cliches with new faces. The Kerala Story and the lead character Shalini Unnikrishnan came as a shocker to me. The entire film leaned heavily on stereotypes that it felt like propaganda rather than a real portrayal. For many people outside the south, Bollywood is their only window to us. So, when they see these caricatures again and again, they assume that’s who we really are.
