There’s an endless debate online about Janhvi Kapoor’s casting in Param Sundari. The romantic comedy, set to release on August 29, 2025, stars Kapoor as Sundari, a Malayali girl from Kerala, opposite Sidharth Malhotra. While some fans are excited to see this cross-cultural romance, others question whether Kapoor’s portrayal feels authentic, citing concerns about her accent and local mannerisms.
Malayali actress Pavithra Menon was one of the first to voice concerns, asking why a native Malayali actor wasn’t cast. In a now-deleted Instagram video, she said, “Hum kum talented hote hain kya?”
Many viewers agreed with her and said that Janhvi Kapoor’s performance might not fully capture the Malayalam-speaking culture.
Fans Debate Over Casting Of Janhvi Kapoor
The debate didn’t end here as a Reddit user shared her poster from the film and wrote, “Param Sundari would be a sure hit if they sign a Malayali Actress.”
Ps. The film has been made and is already being released!
Check out the online reactions to the post:
“If you ask internet Malayalis about any actress, they will say that they should be jobless because they aren’t Urvashi and Shobhana.”
“No, the actress isn’t the problem for cultural misappropriation. She might be a problem for bad acting, but not cultural issues that’s on the team. They need to research properly to understand cultural differences. An actress can’t just do whatever she wants; directors don’t even take advice from newbie actors. (Yes a decade is still newbie for her because she doesn’t have that stardom nor the skills) If you want to blame Janhvi, blame her for expressions/acting, etc. Second, it’s Maddock they’ll claim a hit tag, nevertheless.”
“Anaswara Rajan, one of the most popular young Malayalam heroines, did Yaariyan 2 ( Bangalore Days remake). Another Malayali actress, Priya Prakash Varrier, was also a part of that movie. Was it even talked about in Kerala? How is cultural misappropriation going to change just by changing the heroine? Do they have any say in such things? If they demand too much, the first thing makers do is replace them with someone who is willing to do the same things.
Until makers decide to address cultural misappropriation, nothing will change. Regarding the Malayalam pronunciation, you don’t need to change the actress. They can either learn from the right people or have their lines dubbed by a Malayali voice artist. For instance, actress Krithi Shetty recently acted in a Malayalam movie (ARM). Since she is not a Malayali, her lines were dubbed, and there were no issues. Also, there are Malayali actresses, like Kalyani, who have their lines dubbed in Malayalam movies.”
“Unfortunately It’s not working like that Yes It would be better if they cast a Malayali actress Because she will know the language and her accent will not seem fake like jhanvi But It didn’t work like that They need a famous and known name for their movie To get the reconzation they need to promote their movie And it’s a bollywood movie So obviously, they will go with bollywood actress.”
“Who cares. Dekhni toh mujhe OTT par hi hai.”
“No. The public doesn’t care about accents or authenticity. If the film is entertaining, it will be a hit despite any stereotyping.”
About Param Sundari
Param Sundari is a Hindi romantic comedy directed by Tushar Jalota and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films. The film marks the first collaboration between Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor and has a runtime of 155 minutes. It will release in theatres across India on August 29, 2025.
Set against the scenic backwaters of Kerala, the story follows Param, a flamboyant Delhi-based man played by Malhotra, who falls for Sundari, a graceful local girl played by Kapoor. Their romance blends humour, cultural differences, and heartwarming moments, showing the charm of two different worlds coming together. The film also features Rajeev Khandelwal and other supporting actors. The screenplay is written by Tushar Jalota and Aarsh Vora, with music composed by Sachin–Jigar.
As the release date approaches, debates about Janhvi Kapoor’s casting continue online. Will her performance impress audiences, or will discussions about cultural authenticity dominate the conversation? Only time will tell once Param Sundari hits theatres next week.
