“An Insult To Kerala!” Ananthika Sanilkumar BLASTS Param Sundari For Getting Malayali Culture So Wrong
BOLLYWOOD TRIED TO SHOW KERALA — AND GOT IT TERRIBLY WRONG! ANANTHIKA SANILKUMAR CALLS OUT PARAM SUNDARI
Bollywood has often flirted with South Indian culture, but there is a fine line between celebrating a region and turning it into a caricature. Param Sundari appears to have crossed that line for many Malayalis, and now Kerala-based actress Ananthika Sanilkumar has openly questioned the film’s portrayal of the state, calling some of its cultural choices an insult to Kerala’s way of life.
1. THE FOOD SCENE THAT GAVE IT AWAY: Ananthika revealed that she initially expected Param Sundari to be an entertaining watch. Instead, several scenes left her unimpressed. She particularly pointed to a sequence where Janhvi Kapoor’s character serves food from a small bowl — something she argued simply doesn't reflect the usual way food is served in Kerala. To someone familiar with the culture, she suggested, the mistake is glaring.
2. KERALA OR A BOLLYWOOD FANTASY? The bigger problem, according to the criticism, is the film's exaggerated attempt to package Kerala through familiar visual clichés. Janhvi’s character is shown climbing coconut trees and performing various activities seemingly inserted to scream “Kerala!” rather than organically reflecting everyday Malayali life.
3. GLAMOUR OVER AUTHENTICITY: Instead of allowing the character and setting to breathe naturally, the film allegedly prioritises glamour and exaggerated cultural markers. The result? A version of Kerala that can feel more like a tourist postcard than a lived-in community.
4. THE 2 STATES COMPARISON: Ananthika’s criticism also brings back memories of Alia Bhatt’s Tamil character in 2 States. That portrayal may not have been perfect, but it was comparatively restrained. Param Sundari, by contrast, appears to have pushed the stereotypes much harder.
Ananthika, known for films including MAD, 8 Vasantalu and Romancham, has now added a distinctly Malayali voice to the growing debate: if you're going to represent Kerala, why not actually understand Kerala first?