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Malayali Creators Criticize Param Sundari for Stereotypes; Accuse Makers of Silencing Dissent
The recently released Hindi romantic film Param Sundari, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, has ignited strong backlash among Malayali content creators. Many have expressed outrage over the film’s portrayal of Kerala culture, accusing the makers of reinforcing stereotypes and suppressing critical voices after several dissenting posts were removed from Instagram.
Singer and RJ Pavithra Menon was one of the first to raise concerns, criticizing the film’s trailer for its stereotypical depiction of Malayali women. She specifically called out the portrayal of women wearing jasmine flowers in their hair and performing Mohiniyattam dance in everyday settings. In a now-deleted video, Menon stated, “Women in Kerala do not walk around wearing jasmine flowers and dancing Mohiniyattam.” The video was taken down after Maddock Films issued a copyright claim on Instagram.
Sharing a screenshot of the takedown notice, Menon sarcastically remarked, “Happy Independence Day to everyone who has a voice.” Despite this, she re-uploaded the video, voicing frustration over the casting of a Hindi actor to play a Malayali character. She questioned, “What’s the problem with hiring a proper Malayali actor? Are we less talented? This does not happen in Kerala. We don’t wear jasmine flowers or perform Mohiniyattam in offices or homes.” She also suggested simplifying cultural references by using “Trivandrum” instead of “Thiruvananthapuram” to avoid pronunciation issues.
Content creator Vedangi supported these criticisms and accused the film’s team of silencing Malayali creators. In a recent video, she said, “The team behind this movie is suppressing all Malayali creators. Many have complained, but instead of researching properly, they exploited Kerala’s culture. The portrayal is disrespectful and out of touch.” Vedangi highlighted that their critiques fall under fair use as per Section 52 of the Copyright Act, stating, “We have the right to criticize. Yet, every Malayali creator who mocked the trailer has received copyright infringement notices. This is pure censorship.”This controversy adds to earlier unrest, after Kerala’s Christian community protested a romantic scene shot in a church, demanding its removal from the film’s song.
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