Bollywood Param Sundari Sparks South India Stereotype Debate

The Bollywood film "Param Sundari" (2025), starring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, has sparked controversy for its stereotypical and caricatured portrayal of Kerala and Malayalee identity, especially through Kapoor's character Sundari. Critics and social media users have highlighted the film's reliance on clichés, such as Sundari's atrocious Malayalam, her stereotypical hobbies like climbing coconut trees and communicating with elephants, and the superficial depiction of Kerala's culture and landscape. This controversy is part of a long-standing debate in Indian cinema about the representation of North-South cultural divides, often reducing complex regional identities to broad, simplistic traits and reinforcing stereotypes. Similar patterns have been seen in past films like "Ek Duje ke Liye," "Chennai Express," and "2 States," where North Indians are often portrayed as loud and non-vegetarian, while South Indians are shown as orthodox and vegetarian, creating family conflicts based on cultural differences. The film's depiction also drew unfavorable comparisons to "The Kerala Story," which faced similar criticism for its characters' lack of authentic language and cultural representation. Overall, these portrayals have reignited conversations about the need for more sensitive and accurate representation of India's diverse cultures in cinema.