Double Trouble For ‘Param Sundari’
Religious group files complaint with CBFC, Mumbai Police, and I&B Ministry over church scene
Janhvi Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra’s upcoming film Param Sundari has landed in trouble on two fronts – over a church sequence and for its portrayal of Malayalis.
After the trailer dropped, a religious organisation has lodged a complaint with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Mumbai Police, the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, and the Maharashtra government, objecting to a “flirty” scene shot inside a church.
Calling it “indecent content” in a sacred place of worship, the Watchdog Foundation has demanded the removal of the scene and the filing of an FIR against producers Maddock Films and also warned of public protests if the sequence was allowed to remain in the film.
But the outrage doesn’t end there. Actor-singer Pavithra Menon, a Malayali, has slammed the film for perpetuating stereotypes. In a video posted on Instagram, she questioned why Hindi cinema can’t cast Malayali actors for authentic representation of the ethnic community.
Citing a scene from the trailer where Janhvi’s character introduces herself in Hindi but with a heavy Malayalam accent, Pavithra commented, “Is it so hard to find a Malayali to play the role in a Hindi movie? Are we less talented?” She further criticised the portrayal, saying, “This is not how it happens in Kerala. We don’t just wear jasmine flowers and do Mohiniyattam everywhere.”
Fans flooded the comments section in support, calling out the tokenism of so-called ‘Pan-India’ casting.
