Bollywood’s upcoming film Param Sundari, starring Janhvi Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra, has found itself in controversy after Malayali actress Pavithra Menon criticised Janhvi’s casting in a now-deleted Instagram post.

Pavithra Menon’s Objection

In her video, Pavithra expressed disappointment over Janhvi’s portrayal of a Malayali character in the film’s trailer, pointing to her accent.

“What’s the problem in hiring a proper Malayali actor? Are we less talented?” she asked, adding that Malayalam speakers can fluently switch to Hindi without stereotypes.

Slamming Bollywood’s long-standing casting practices, she said:
“This is not how it happens in Kerala. Back in the 90s, we used to exaggerate Punjabi characters on screen. But it’s 2025 now. Everyone knows how Malayalis talk — we don’t just wear jasmine flowers or perform Mohiniyattam everywhere.”

In her caption, Pavithra clarified: “I mean no hate to Janhvi here, but why try this hard?”

Her post drew support from followers who agreed that authentic representation matters in cross-cultural stories.

About Pavithra Menon

Pavithra is both a singer and an actor. She has worked as a playback singer in films like Mili and Jack & Daniel, and acted in the short film Spit it Out, Margot!.

About Param Sundari

Directed by Tushar Jalota, the film explores a romance between a man from Delhi (played by Sidharth Malhotra) and a woman from Kerala (played by Janhvi Kapoor). The film also stars Rajeev Khandelwal and Aakash Dahiya, and is slated for release on August 29, 2025.

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