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Param Sundari review: Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor star in Tushar Jalota’s heartfelt rom-com that blends Punjab and Kerala with warmth, charm, and soulful chemistry.
Param Sundari, directed by Tushar Jalota, stars Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor in a rom-com that celebrates simplicity, cultural immersion, and the magic of first love.
Param Sundari U/A
3.5/5
Starring: Sidharth Malhotra, Janhvi Kapoor, Manjot Singh, Renji Panicker, Siddhartha Shankar, Abhishek Baneerjee, Sanjay Kapoor, Inayat VermaDirector: Tushar jalotaMusic: Sachin-jigar
Param Sundari Review: It has been raining rom-coms lately, torrential, unrelenting, glistening on cinema screens everywhere, and one must admit, it is a welcome storm. After years of choking on the gunpowder smoke of action spectacles and the globe-trotting vanity of espionage dramas, audiences deserve a reprieve. The industry has too often been obsessed with the lone, brooding, empire-building male archetype, flexing his sinews as if testosterone alone were enough to shoulder the burden of narrative. But there are times when the heart craves something simpler, something softer, a cinematic sigh, a romantic detour. Enter Param SundariMaddock Films’ latest, a Tushar Jalota directorial that on its surface seems like the offspring of Chennai Express and 2 States, but in truth carries a tender pulse of its own.
At the centre stands Param Sachdev (Sidharth Malhotra), a Punjabi man sculpted like a Greek statue yet hollowed by his dependence on algorithms and venture-capital whims. His father’s fortune bleeds away in failed startup bets until fate introduces him to Shekhar (a deliciously earnest Abhishek Banerjee), who has coded into existence an app called Soul Mates. The conceit is disarmingly simple: somewhere in the latticework of data points, the algorithm will divine your one true love. Param scoffs, but when his father threatens to strip him of his entrepreneurial freedom, he clings to this digital oracle. One month, one app, one soulmate, or nothing.
The algorithm points him to a small town in Kerala, and so Param, flanked by his loyal, goofy sidekick Jaggi (Manjot Singh), embarks on a journey south. The film’s middle act blooms into a tourism board fantasy: toddy-drunk cabbies, emerald backwaters, lush coconut groves, and the swirl of traditional Mohiniattam rehearsals. At the heart of it all stands Sundari (Janhvi Kapoor), her name as fated as her grace, spinning in her courtyard when Param first lays eyes on her. Sparks don’t just fly; they crackle like monsoon lightning.
Param pretends he’s there to “escape the chaos of the city,” but we know better. His wooing begins in earnest, serenading with borrowed Mohanlal lyrics, bruising himself in Kalaripayattu rings, even brandishing the lethal urumi sword with laughable swagger. Slowly, Sundari’s guarded smiles soften into something warmer. Just when love seems to be simmering to perfection, an old wrinkle appears. Venugopal, Sundari’s childhood companion and the man her family always intended her to marry, steps into the frame. With the countdown to Param’s deadline ticking, desire collides with duty, and the film pivots from lighthearted rom-com to a test of sincerity.
On paper, this is hardly revolutionary. A lovestruck outsider fighting to win the girl’s heart in unfamiliar territory is one of Bollywood’s most beloved recipes. Yet Param Sundari works because it isn’t ashamed of being familiar; it revels in it.
Where the film shines brightest is in its cultural immersion. The backwaters, Onam festivities, boat races, and Kalaripayattu aren’t just cinematic wallpaper; they’re woven into Param’s journey. True, at times it skirts the edge of caricature, reducing Kerala to a brochure-ready aesthetic. But for the most part, it embraces its setting with enough sincerity to feel like homage rather than appropriation. Importantly, it avoids the trap of cultural one-upmanship. Neither Punjab nor Kerala overwhelms or subsumes the other, the film allows both to breathe, coexist, and enrich the love story.
Sidharth Malhotra slips comfortably into Param’s shoes, flexing more charm than muscle this time. His chemistry with Janhvi Kapoor crackles, especially in the quieter interludes, when Sundari takes him on a river-soaked tour while Sonu Nigam and Krishnakali Saha serenade the landscape with Pardesiya, or when they share a fragile confession inside a candle-lit church. Manjot Singh, as Jaggi, is not merely comic ballast but Param’s conscience, anchoring him to vulnerability.
The supporting cast, Sanjay Kapoor, Renji Panicker, Siddhartha Shankar, and little Inayat Verma, add colour and credibility, even if the screenplay doesn’t give them much beyond archetypal strokes. The music, too, is uneven. Sachin-Jigar provide a couple of gems (Pardesiya and Bheegi Saree linger long after the credits), but the rest feel like placeholders, serviceable but forgettable.
Flaws? Certainly. The humour is hit-and-miss. Some cultural touches skim the surface rather than diving deep. And narratively, the film walks such a straight line that surprises are few and far between. Yet, in an era where “romance” often comes camouflaged with explosions, espionage, or superhero capes, the very simplicity of Param Sundari feels radical.
This isn’t a film that preaches or complicates. It doesn’t carry hidden messages or moral burden. It just wants you to feel the giddiness of first love, the ache of uncertainty, and the relief of choosing heart over head. And in that, it succeeds.
In the end, Param Sundari is a comfort food cinema. Paneer Butter Masala, idli-sambar, choose your metaphor. Familiar, yes, but warm, fragrant, and deeply satisfying. It may not aspire to gourmet innovation, but it fills the heart with the uncomplicated sweetness of first love, and the nostalgia of a genre once adored but now endangered. It leaves you smiling, maybe even believing, however briefly, in the miracle of soulmates, algorithm or no algorithm
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun…Read More
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun… Read More
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