A rom-com that goes south from the get go

IN Bollywood, there are two types of promotions ahead of a film's release. One is where the actors are found sitting across every other podcaster, sharing their fallibilities, insecurities and struggles. How they felt second fiddle for not being invited to Koffee with Karan for a long time, things like that. Another seems a more clueless one, where you will see the leads touring Tier 2 cities and being captured by paparazzi while eating at iconic joints.

- KARTIK BHARDWAJ

My simpleton brain can't fathom how Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor relishing chaat in Lucknow or savouring chole bhature in Delhi can convince me to go and buy tickets for their latest. It only makes me crave an unhealthy, roadside snack. And with dietary desires like these, I walked into Param Sundari. If, by any chance, films could be tasted, this one is a culinary experience akin to drinking a protein shake from a coconut.

Amongst other drawbacks, the film suffers the most from taking up an unoriginal, dated idea. The North-South romance has been explored before, both cutely and comically, in films like 2 States (2014) and Chennai Express (2013). Param Sundari offers nothing more than a reheated dish. It can't even rely on the screen presence and acting prowess of its leads. Sidharth and Janhvi are pleasing to look at, but they don't exactly crackle. It isn't a sure-shot that two individuals having biological advantages can ensure chemistry.