Bollywood rom-com Param Sundari, directed by Tushar Jalota, was released on August 29. The film has created buzz for its music and style. Many are comparing it to Shah Rukh Khan’s Chennai Express.
Produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films, the movie stars Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor. Maddock, known for its horror-comedy universe, has come up with a rom-com this time.
Reports suggest the film has been made on a mid-range budget of around ₹50 crore. The makers, however, haven’t officially confirmed the figure.
Sidharth plays the male lead of a Punjabi boy. According to Filmibeat, he charged around ₹12 crore for the film, making him the highest-paid actor in the cast.
Janhvi Kapoor received around ₹5 crore, according to the publication. Veteran actor Sanjay Kapoor has reportedly charged a fee of ₹50 lakh. Manjot Singh, last ween in Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, has been paid around ₹25 lakh.
Param Sundari box office collection
Param Sundari had solid box office collection of ₹7.25 crore net in India on Day 1 (Friday), according to Sacnilk. The film saw its strongest occupancy in South Indian cities. Bengaluru led with 24.5% occupancy, followed by Chennai at 24.75% and Hyderabad at 21.75%, the Sacnilk data shows.
Northern markets like the NCR (13%), Jaipur (15.75%) and Mumbai (12.25%) recorded moderate numbers. Smaller centres such as Surat (4%) and Bhopal (7.25%) showed weaker turnout.
Evening and night shows saw higher audience interest compared to mornings, particularly in metro cities.
Param Sundari saw the second-highest opening in Janhvi Kapoor’s film career so far. The top name happens to be Ulajh, which collected ₹9.07 crore on the release day.
For Sidharth, however, it is not even in the top 10. The top opener in his career so far is Ek Villain, with ₹105.76 crore.
Param Sundari controversies
Param Sundari ran into multiple controversies ahead of its release date. Several Malayali social media users accused the movie of misrepresenting Kerala and Malayalam culture.
Janhvi Kapoor’s accent and character were mocked as inauthentic. Cliches like jasmine flowers and Mohiniyattam dances were called stereotypes.
The song Danger was accused of plagiarising a Pakistani track Laal Suit. Instagram took down a video by singer Pavithra Menon, questioning the casting, after a copyright complaint by the makers. The Watchdog Foundation accused the film of hurting Christian sentiments over a romantic scene shot in a church.
