Name: Param Sundari
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: 2025-08-29
Rating: 6.6
Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Janhvi Kapoor, Manjot Singh, Sanjay Kapoor, Renji Panicker

A romantic film about a boy from Delhi and a girl from Kerala who fall in love. The film is directed by Tushar Jalota, starring Janhvi Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra in lead roles.

Param Sundari

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Tushar Jalota, Gaurav Mishra and Aarsh Arora’s story is not novel. But Tushar Jalota’s screenplay is fresh. The story is presented in a new age manner with some interesting and funny situations thrown as the couple gradually falls in love. The twist at the interval, again, isn't something new in this genre of films. But it surprises you because the makers have refrained from showing any of this in the trailer. The dialogues are conversational with natural humour but some cheezy lines could have been avoided.

Tushar Jalota's direction is simple as well as fresh. He has kept things light hearted. He has ensured that things don't get too heavy even when a serious twist is thrown. In. Two sequences stand out in the all-important second half. The boat race sequence and the climax. The latter deserves more mention as it's simple and uncomplicated. In such genre of stories, the ending tends to become emotionally heavy or melodramatic. But that isn't the case here.

On the flipside, as mentioned above, the story is tried and tested. You will find plenty of films with this storyline. Therefore, the climax is also anybody's guess. Before the release, there was a chatter on social media about the film being similar to CHENNAI EXPRESS and 2 STATES. But it actually reminds you of DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE. More so, also because of the hero's father's angle and what all he does in the second half.
Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor suit as a pair. Sidharth scores well in a typical lover boy role. His antics and way of speaking suit this genre of films. Janhvi Kapoor looks ravishing and suits the image of a half Malayalam-half Tamilian girl. She scores in emotions and dialogue delivery, except for few occasions where her Malayalam accent appears forced. Sanjay Kapoor is a surprise package in an energetic performance. Majot Singh is like a typical friend of the hero you find in such genre of films. Renji, who plays Venu in the film, does well too.
On the whole, PARAM SUNDARI makes for a pleasant Bollywood rom-com. The story may follow a familiar template, yet the treatment ensures a breezy, light-hearted watch that connects well with the youth through its mix of emotions, romance, music, and drama. At the box office, the film is likely to open decently and has the potential for a healthy theatrical run.

Param wants his dad (Sanjay Kapoor) to invest in his dating app, but the pakka businessman senior first wants proof of concept, like the biggies in ‘fish tank’ (shark tank). If Param can find a soulmate online in a month, he can have the money. He matches with Thekkepattu Sundari Damodaram Pillai, or Sundari, in the beautiful and sleepy town of Kerala. As he reaches there, he is instantaneously smitten. But Sundari is less than impressed with him and his friend, Juggy (Manjot Singh) who can’t tell one South Indian from the other—not even Rajinikanth from Mohanlal. However, Param and Sundari take a liking for each other, but there are more roadblocks—Sundari is set to be married to Venu Gopal (Siddhartha Shankar), and she is miffed about being a part of Param’s business experiment. Can the Delhi boy win her over?
Director Tushar Jalota’s film doesn’t tread new ground and leans on familiar tropes, yet it offers a light, watchable romantic fare. The narrative is predictable, but moves at a steady pace. The build up in the first half offers some light moments that will keep you engaged.
What works in the film’s favour are the picturesque Kerala backdrops, tender moments, and Sachin-Jigar’s music—particularly Pardesiya, Danger, and Sundari Ke Pyaar Mein. The humour is light in parts, though not every gag works equally well.
The real highlight is the charming chemistry between Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, who make the opposites-attract arc believable and enjoyable. The actors light up the screen with their presence, especially Janhvi who looks gorgeous in the traditional Malayali avatar. Sanjay Kapoor, Manjot Singh, Renji Panicker, and Siddhartha Shankar lend able support.
Even if it largely remains in the known territory, fans of breezy romances will find it a pleasant watch.

What happens when AI decides who you love or who your soulmate is, only for you to find out that you've been scammed? 

There's a Hindi saying "Poot ke paanv paalne mein hee dikh jaate hain", which roughly translates in English to - "Coming events cast their shadows long before". From Baazigar, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Pardes, Dil Se to obviously Chennai Express, despite Sundari being half-Malayali, Param Sundari is full of Shah Rukh Khan film references.

Param Sundari begins with Sidharth Malhotra's Param saying, "Kisi mahapurush ne kaha hai kahin na kahin, koi na koi har kisi ke liye bana hai". Remember Dil Toh Pagal Hai?

What's more is that Param is a tech investor from Delhi who is yet to make a mark for himself and prove his mettle to businessman father, played by Sanjay Kapoor. After a series of debacles, Param feels a new start-up app called Find My Soulmate could be a game changer for him. He makes a wager with his father that if this new start-up app succeeds in one month, his old man would fund the Rs 5 crore project. If it's the other way around, Param will start working at the family company.
We are told that this Find My Soulmate app connects people on the basis of their frequencies. In this social media world of right swipe, left swipe, one can find their soulmate, no matter where they are. The promise is big and Param wants to test the app before putting in any money.

His "frequency" matches with Janhvi Kapoor's professional Mohiniyattam dancer Sundari who lives in a small town with beautiful backwaters called Nangiarkulangara in Kerala's Allapuzha. Sundari lives with her younger sister Amu. She converted their house into a homestay after their parents' death and as her dance studio was not making money. Sundari "hates" her job and wants to pursue Mohiniyattam.

Param obviously doesn't tell her that he is not in Nangiarkulangara for sightseeing but to match his frequency with her. Somehow this fake app leads to right match for Param and Sundari. But Venu, her childhood friend with whom she played house-house enters the scene as a "virus" and Sundari is to be married to him with 10 days of Onam.

Now, as this is a romantic comedy, Param is a Dilwala who eventually gets his Dulhania. He admits he has come to get Sundari but not without the blessings of the village elders.

From the flirting scene in the church to the whole Malayalam accent issue, all controversies aside, Param Sundari lives up to its name. Extremely beautiful. Colour-coordinated Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor look beautiful in the film, set against the beautiful backwaters and greenery of Kerala.

Though a must-watch for all Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor fans, Param Sundari is not serving anything new in the romantic comedy genre. While it never promised to be a Saiyaara (a film set in the same umbrella genre of romance but not an intense drama), this new film is not as engaging. One will come back from the theatres humming the dreamy Pardesiya, which reminds the viewer of Yeh Haseen Vadiyan from Roja.

PS: We are all for pop culture references, but films calling out the new generation for finding matches through social media apps is really getting a bit old.

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 Sundari, Maddock 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.
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

A feel-good entertainer that works for the most part... Crackling chemistry [#SidharthMalhotra – #JanhviKapoor] + excellent music [#Pardesiya] are its strongest assets. #ParamSundariReview

Contrary to speculation, #ParamSundari doesn’t borrow from #2States, #ChennaiExpress, or #RRKPK… It charts its own course with a distinct flavour... Director #TusharJalota handles romance + drama with maturity, though the post-interval portions could've been sharper.

#SachinJigar's music [especially #Pardesiya] is already a chartbuster… Adds tremendous recall value.

Special mention of the stunning locations of #Kerala, especially in the #Pardesiya track... Also, the boat race [#VallamKali] in the finale is a visual spectacle.

#SidharthMalhotra makes a strong impression… His charismatic screen presence and likeable act elevate the narrative.

#JanhviKapoor delivers her career-best act… Natural, spontaneous and brimming with confidence… An absolute delight to watch.

The supporting cast – #RenjiPanicker, #SiddharthaShankar, #ManjotSingh, and #SanjayKapoor – are wonderful in their respective parts.

Final word? #ParamSundari ticks all boxes – youth connect, emotions, romance, music, drama... A good watch!

Delhi boy Sidharth Malhotra made his dream debut as an actor with Karan Johar’s Student Of The Year. After receiving critical as well as commercial success for his maiden performance, Sidharth went on to become a youth icon with movies like Ek Villain (2014), Hasee Toh Phasee (2014), Brothers (2015) & Kapoor & Sons (2016) & Ittefaq (2017). Known for his killer good looks & impressive screen presence, Sidharth was the second runner-up in the Gladrags Mega-model and Manhunt 2007.

Sidharth Malhotra

Janhvi Kapoor is the daughter of legendary actress Sridevi and famous producer Boney Kapoor. Her debut movie is Dhadak directed by Shashank Khaitan.

Janhvi Kapoor

Manjot Singh

Sanjay Surinder Kapoor is an Indian actor and film producer. He works in Hindi cinema, Indian television and web series. He is a member of the Surinder Kapoor family. Kapoor is the founder and director of Sanjay Kapoor Entertainment Private Limited.

Sanjay Kapoor

Renji Panicker is an Indian film actor, scriptwriter, director, film producer, and journalist best known for his Malayalam films. He made his debut as a director with Bharatchandran IPS in 2005.

Param Sundari(2025)