The Hindi romantic film Param Sundari, featuring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, has ignited significant backlash from Malayali content creators. Many have raised concerns about how the film portrays Kerala’s culture, claiming the filmmakers have silenced dissent by removing critical posts on social media.
Singer and radio host Pavithra Menon was among the first to voice her disapproval. She pointed out the stereotypical representation of Malayali women, particularly the frequent use of jasmine flowers in hairstyles and the inclusion of Mohiniyattam dance sequences as part of daily life. In a video that was later taken down, she questioned, “Women in Kerala do not walk around wearing jasmine flowers and dancing Mohiniyattam.” The removal of her video occurred after Maddock Films submitted a copyright claim.
Menon published a screenshot of the takedown notice, sarcastically stating, “Happy Independence Day to everyone who has a voice.” Undeterred, she reposted her video expressing frustration that a Hindi actor was chosen to play a Malayali character. She asked rhetorically, “Why not cast a Malayali actor? Are we any less talented?” She suggested a simpler approach in pronunciation, saying, “Just use Trivandrum instead of Thiruvananthapuram—we would be okay with that.”
Another creator, Vedangi, echoed this sentiment and accused the film’s team of suppressing Malayali voices. She stated in a new video, “The team behind this movie is ignoring the concerns of Malayali creators. They’re taking advantage of our culture without proper research, and the representation is quite disrespectful.” She asserted their right to critique the film under copyright law, emphasizing that many creators have received copyright notices, which she described as an attempt to silence them.
This criticism adds to the existing controversy surrounding Param Sundari, which also faced backlash from the Christian community over a romantic scene filmed in a church, leading to calls for the scene’s removal.
As discussions continue, it remains to be seen how the filmmakers will respond to the ongoing criticism from various groups.
