A new Bollywood romantic comedy, ‘Param Sundari,’ has ignited a fierce debate over its stereotypical depiction of South India, with critics accusing it of reducing cultural nuances to clichés while some audiences defend it as harmless entertainment.
The film, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, centers on the romance between Param, a man from Delhi, and Sundari, a woman from Kerala, as they navigate cultural differences. Their love story unfolds against a backdrop of exaggerated regional traits that have drawn widespread criticism from viewers and cultural commentators.
Sundari’s character is portrayed with several stereotypical elements associated with Kerala, such as wearing jasmine flowers in her hair, communicating with elephants, and climbing coconut trees as a hobby. Additionally, her poor command of Malayalam, despite being a lifelong resident, has been particularly jarring for audiences from the region, highlighting a lack of authenticity in the representation.
The backlash began with the film’s trailer, where Sundari mispronounces her own name, sparking comparisons to other controversial portrayals like Shalini Unnikrishnan from ‘The Kerala Story.’ Social media users and critics have pointed out that such depictions perpetuate harmful stereotypes and fail to capture the true diversity of South Indian cultures.
In one scene, Param’s friend mockingly mispronounces a Kerala village name and asks if it’s in Africa, blending casual racism with cultural insensitivity. The film quickly glosses over iconic Kerala elements like backwaters, coconut trees, and festivals without delving into authentic cultural contexts, leading one reviewer to call it a ‘feature-length ad for Kerala tourism’ that lacks nuance.
Despite the criticism, some viewers find the film entertaining. Rajiv, a viewer from Bihar, appreciated it as a fun introduction to Kerala culture, arguing that artistic freedom should not be stifled by demands for absolute authenticity. He suggested that such portrayals might evolve over time but serve to make movies more engaging for a broad audience.
However, critics like Sowmya Rajendran have lambasted ‘Param Sundari’ as ‘generic, exhausting, and offensive,’ accusing it of hiding tired clichés behind an exotic setting. The film’s attempt to balance stereotypes by having Sundari call out north Indian biases is seen as insufficient and half-hearted, failing to address deeper issues of representation.
This is not the first time Bollywood has faced such scrutiny; films like ‘Chennai Express’ and ‘Mary Kom’ were criticized for casting and cultural inaccuracies but still achieved commercial success. The industry’s landscape is changing with the rise of streaming platforms, which give voice to regional cinemas and challenge Bollywood’s dominance, making such stereotypes more scrutinized than ever.
The debate underscores a larger issue of representation in Indian cinema, emphasizing the need for authentic storytelling that involves communities in the narrative process. As writer Aleena notes, it’s about power dynamics and ensuring that people from depicted regions have a stake in how their stories are told, moving beyond caricatures to foster genuine understanding and respect.