An App, A Match, And A Trip To Kerala

Param Sundari starts with a modern idea. Param Sachdev, played by Sidharth Malhotra, is a lively Punjabi boy from Delhi who wants to build an app that finds soulmates. To prove the app works, he tests it on himself. The app matches him with Sundari, played by Janhvi Kapoor, a woman from Kerala who runs a homestay and lives a very different life. Param travels to Kerala to meet her, and the film becomes a north meets south romance, set against backwaters, churches, and family homes. Director Tushar Jalota, known for Dasvi, directs the film for Maddock Films, produced by Dinesh Vijan. Music is by Sachin-Jigar, with the song Pardesiya, sung by Sonu Nigam and Krishnakali Saha, becoming a highlight.
The film was first planned for July 25, 2025, then released on August 29, 2025. That delay gave it a late summer slot, away from bigger clashes, but it still faced a crowded season. The premise, a Delhi boy using tech to find love in Kerala, gave the film a hook that was easy to explain in a trailer. The first look, with Sidharth and Janhvi together for the first time, drew attention because it was a new pairing. Sidharth had returned to romance after a run of action roles, and Janhvi was moving between rom-coms and dramas. Their pairing was pitched as the biggest love story of the year by Maddock, a claim that set high expectations for a film that, in the end, received mixed reviews.

Mixed Reviews, Strong Music And Visuals

Critics gave Param Sundari mixed to negative reviews, with praise for its soundtrack and cinematography and criticism for its story and screenplay. That split is important. Reviewers liked the look of Kerala, the pleasant music, and the sweet, feel good tone in places. They were less convinced by the chemistry between the leads, by the writing, and by the way the film leaned on older romance tropes, including a last minute airport intervention and homages to earlier films. Galatta Plus noted that the film sets a low bar and clears it comfortably, a backhanded compliment that captures its modest ambition. MensXP gave it 3 out of 5, calling it sweet and feel good, with Pardesiya as a clear plus.
The  film also drew online debate before release. Casting drew comment about the age gap between Sidharth, then 40, and Janhvi, then 27, a gap of 13 years that many viewers noted. A scene of Janhvi's character climbing a coconut tree went viral, with viewers calling it out as a stereotype. Those debates did not help the film, but they also showed how a cross cultural romance is judged in 2025. Viewers want Kerala, and its people, to feel real, not like a tourism ad. The trailer was criticised by some online viewers on exactly that ground, with comments saying it looked like a Kerala tourism film. That criticism is fair to report, even if the film's defenders say its heart is in the right place.

Box Office And Prime Video Life

At the box office, Param Sundari had a decent opening but could not sustain it. Later reporting put its domestic lifetime at about Rs 53.07 crore on a reported budget of Rs 60 crore, while Wikipedia's summary puts its worldwide total at about Rs 85.83 crore. Those two figures measure different things, domestic net versus worldwide gross, and they show why totals vary. The film was counted, in some 2025 roundups, as one of three films in under two months for Janhvi Kapoor that struggled at the box office, alongside Homebound and Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari. That run was widely noted in October 2025, and it put pressure on Janhvi's next choices, even as her performances were praised in places.
The film found a clearer home on streaming. Prime Video announced its exclusive global premiere on September 24, 2025, and the film became available in India and in more than 200 countries and territories. That streaming life suits a romance like Param Sundari. It is a film best watched at home, on a weekend, without the pressure of a theatrical opening. Viewers who skipped it in cinemas could try it for its music and Kerala visuals, and decide for themselves whether the romance works. For Maddock Films, the film remains part of a busy slate that includes horror comedies, romances, and dramas, and it shows the studio's willingness to try new pairings even when the result is mixed.

Should You Watch Param Sundari Now

If you like light romances with good songs and pretty locations, Param Sundari is worth a try on Prime Video. Go in for Sachin-Jigar's music, for Kerala's backwaters, and for a simple story about two people from different worlds learning to meet in the middle. Do not go in expecting a tight, original script. The film's strength is its mood, not its plot. Sidharth returns to the kind of romance he grew up loving, in his own words about the film, and Janhvi brings charm to Sundari, even when the writing does not always give her enough to do. Together, they make a pleasant pair, even if they do not make an unforgettable one.
For Sidharth, the film was a return to rom-com after action roles. For Janhvi, it was one of a busy run of 2025 films that tested her range. For viewers, it is a reminder that a romance can be sweet, well shot, and well sung, and still leave you wanting more from its story. That mixed feeling is honest, and it is why Param Sundari is still discussed a year later, not as a hit or a flop alone, but as a film that tried a cross cultural love story in a moment when audiences wanted that story to feel true.

Sources and reporting

  1. Wikipedia — 2025-08-29 · Verifies director, cast, August 29 2025 release, Rs 60 crore budget, and Rs 85.83 crore estimate
  2. Bollywood Hungama — 2025-09-24 · Verifies Prime Video premiere, Maddock Films, Kerala backwaters story, and cast
  3. MensXP — 2025-10-09 · Verifies Rs 53.07 crore domestic lifetime and three film run for Janhvi Kapoor