By Ayesha Khan 
Mumbai, August 15: What was meant to be a lighthearted end-of-summer rom-com is now carrying the weight of headlines that have little to do with romance. Param Sundari, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, opens on August 29 but the weeks leading up to its release have been anything but breezy.
It’s not unusual for a film to shift dates in the name of strategy, but this one came with whispers. The movie was originally slated for July 25. Then, almost quietly, it moved to late August. Officially, the producers say it’s about giving the film “its own space” at the box office. Unofficially, as one distributor put it, “Why fight for oxygen when you can breathe freely?” July was packed with big romantic releases; Param Sundari would have been elbowing for attention.
The delay might work in its favour. End-August is calmer in theatres, fewer competing titles, more room to stretch a run. But just as the calendar cleared, trouble arrived from another corner.
A Scene That Lit A Fuse
In the trailer, there’s a quick moment the two leads, playful, flirting inside a church. It might have been just another rom-com beat, except it wasn’t. The Watchdog Foundation, a Christian advocacy group, called it disrespectful. To them, the sacredness of the setting was being undercut for a laugh.
Letters have already gone out to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the Mumbai Police, and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, demanding the scene be cut from the film and its promos. They’ve even warned of filing a First Information Report if nothing changes.
For the makers, that’s a headache. Two weeks from release is no time for a drawn-out fight with the censors. Any tweak now means scrambling through post-production and marketing material all over again. And yet, ignoring it could stall the film’s clearance entirely.
The Accent That Sparked Another Fire
If the church scene controversy is about faith, the second storm is about identity. Pavithra Menon, a Malayalam singer and actor, saw the trailer and bristled at Janhvi Kapoor’s Malayali accent. She didn’t mince words either, asking online: “Hum kam talented hote hain kya?”
Her point wasn’t just about pronunciation it was about representation. Why cast a non-Malayali actor for a distinctly Malayali role when there’s no shortage of talent from the region? It’s a conversation Bollywood has been having for years, but it tends to flare up with fresh intensity every time a big star plays someone from a culture they weren’t born into.
The response online has been split. Some defend Kapoor, pointing out that acting is about transformation, not identity. Others side with Menon, saying authenticity matters especially when the accent becomes a defining part of the character.
Headlines That Won’t Let Go
In another universe, this would be the season of dance numbers on TV, glowing interviews, and behind-the-scenes videos. Instead, most chatter about Param Sundari right now has little to do with its songs or its chemistry. Even fan discussions about the soundtrack are being drowned out by the noise of edits, complaints, and hashtags about representation.
But controversy in Bollywood is a strange creature. Sometimes it sinks a film. Sometimes, it turns into free marketing. There’s a section of the audience now curious enough to watch just to see what all the fuss is about. “People love to be the judge,” a Delhi exhibitor said, half-smiling. “They’ll buy a ticket to see if it’s really that bad or to say everyone else overreacted.”
Two Weeks To Figure It Out
The next fortnight will be a tightrope walk. The CBFC could call for changes. The makers will have to decide whether to comply or stand their ground. The accent debate won’t get “resolved” in time that’s more a cultural conversation than a censor’s decision but it might still shape the film’s reception in Kerala and among Malayali audiences elsewhere.
History has shown that pre-release storms don’t always doom a film. Sometimes, they even help. Whether Param Sundari walks out of this stronger or limps into theatres under the weight of it all will be clear by the first weekend of September. For now, the only thing certain is that a film that set out to be a sweet, simple love story has become anything but.
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- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ayesha/
- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ayesha/
- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ayesha/
- Ayesha Khanhttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ayesha/
Neeraj Kapoor and Ayesha Khan