A new Bollywood film has reignited an age-old conversation around how India's largest and most influential film industry represents characters from non-Hindi speaking states.
Param Sundari, a romcom starring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, is a love story between a woman from the southern state of Kerala and a man from Delhi in northern India.
The idea isn't new: Bollywood has long explored north-south cultural clashes through romcoms, and in a multilingual country, well-executed cross-cultural romances can be a hit.
But the film has drawn heavy criticism for its caricatured depiction of Kerala, particularly through Sundari’s character, portrayed by Kapoor. Critics have pointed out how the character embodies exaggerated traits typically associated with the region, such as poor language skills and clichéd cultural practices.
The criticism gained momentum with the film's trailer, where viewers noticed Sundari mispronouncing her own name, a misstep metaphorically compared to a previous controversial character from the film The Kerala Story.
Further critiques highlight how the film trivializes Kerala's culture with casual jokes and a checklist of stereotypical elements rather than offering genuine insights into the state. For example, a character comments on a location in Kerala as if it were exotic and unfamiliar, perpetuating stereotypes often seen in Bollywood depictions of southern India.
Reactions to the film have been mixed: some viewers appreciate its entertainment value as an introduction to a different culture, while others express that the content oversimplifies complex cultural narratives and lacks authenticity.
Ultimately, Param Sundari has become a lightning rod for discussions about representation and cultural nuance within Bollywood, particularly as audiences become more critical and aware of the portrayals they consume.
