Pavithra Menon’s post mocking ‘Param Sundari’ trailer and Janhvi Kapoor's accent removed, singer re-uploads after copyright claim

Pavithra Menon’s post mocking ‘Param Sundari’ trailer and Janhvi Kapoor's accent removed, singer re-uploads after copyright claim

The recently released trailer of Param Sundari, directed by Tushar Jalota and starring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, has not only garnered massive attention on YouTube, crossing over 43 million views, but also sparked a wave of memes and criticism.

Much of the backlash has centred around its caricatured depiction of Kerala and its culture, with netizens calling out the film for perpetuating stereotypes and portraying the state in a shallow, exaggerated manner.

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A post shared by PAVITHRA MENON (@pavithramenon)

Among those who spoke out against the film was Malayalam singer Pavithra Menon, who released a video analysing the trailer and expressing her disapproval.

Pavithra’s critique focused on multiple aspects of the movie, particularly Janhvi Kapoor’s accent, attire, and overall representation as a Malayali woman. She pointed out that the character’s portrayal, including the name “Thekkupetta Sundari Damodaran Pillai,” was unrealistic, adding that the supposed Malayalam spoken in the trailer was almost unintelligible to native speakers.

The singer’s video, however, was removed from Instagram after the platform received a copyright claim from a third party. Pavithra shared a screenshot of the notice, which read, “We removed the following content you posted on Instagram because we received a notice from a third party that it infringes their copyright.” Taking a subtle dig at the situation, she captioned the post: “Happy Independence Day to everyone who has a voice.”

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In her critique, Pavithra also questioned the filmmakers’ decision not to cast a native Malayalam actor in the lead role.

Using clips from the trailer, she asked, “What’s the problem in hiring a proper Malayali actor? Hum kam talented hote hain kya (Are we less talented)?” She highlighted how earlier Malayalam films in the 1990s went to great lengths to accurately portray other cultures, stressing that by 2025, audiences expect authenticity in representation. “Everybody knows how a Malayali talks, and how they are as normal as anybody else. We don’t just wear jasmine flowers and do Mohiniyattam everywhere,” she remarked.

Following the removal of her video, many Instagram users rallied behind Pavithra in the comments, praising her courage to speak up. “That means it reached the right ears. Well done,” one fan wrote, while another remarked, “They’re scared of this also? Happy Independence Day.” Some users even suggested filing copyright complaints against the filmmakers for misrepresenting Kerala’s culture.

After making minor edits by removing portions of the trailer footage, Pavithra reuploaded her video on Instagram, ensuring that her critical perspective on the film’s stereotypical portrayal reached her audience once again.