‘Terrible film’: Kalidas Jayaram slams Param Sundari, calls it cultural ‘mockery’

Actor Kalidas Jayaram has openly criticised the Hindi film Param Sundari, stating that he felt it misrepresented and mocked Malayali culture and traditions.

Speaking during the promotions of his film Ashakal Aayiram, alongside his father and senior actor Jayaram, Kalidas appeared on the YouTube channel Irfan’s View. When asked to name the worst movie he had recently watched, he did not hesitate to mention Param Sundari.

“Param Sundari was that one bad film which I watched recently. I will say it openly — they made a mockery in their portrayal of our culture and traditions. That’s how I felt. It was terrible,” he said.

Released in August last year, Param Sundari, starring Janhvi Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra, was set in Kerala. In the film, Kapoor played a Kerala-based character, while Malhotra portrayed a Delhi man who travels to the state after matching with her on a dating app.

Soon after its release, the film drew criticism from several Malayali viewers and content creators who alleged that it relied on stereotypes in depicting Kerala’s culture.

Singer and RJ Pavithra Menon was among the early critics. In a now-deleted video, she questioned why a Malayali actress was not cast in the lead role and pointed out that women in Kerala do not typically dress or behave in the stylised manner shown in the film, including wearing jasmine flowers and performing Mohiniyattam in everyday life.

She later re-uploaded her remarks after her initial post was reportedly removed following a copyright claim, reiterating concerns about cultural stereotyping.

The film did not perform strongly at the box office and remained in the spotlight largely due to the controversy surrounding its portrayal of Malayali characters.