Param Sundari review: A random rom-com that seems to be scripted by AI!

Param Sundari review: A random rom-com that seems to be scripted by AI!

‘Param Sundari’ - Punjab da Puttar, Param Sachdev , who has sunk his life in the Date-Delete-Repeat chore, is in search of a technology disruptor – an App that would change the world – by helping one find a soulmate. Before he invests, he must do a beta-testing on himself! Param and bestie Jaggy embark on a soulmate-searching journey to pursue his Sundari – an AI and algo-driven suggestion thrown by the App that points to God’s own country - backwaters of Kerala.

Param Sundari movie review

Playing the eponymous characters in Tushar Jalota’s rom-com, Siddharth Malhotra and Jahnvi Kapoor recreate an old school but template-ridden romance, amidst verdant tea gardens, fountains and church, that hinges on the stark culture divide – ‘Param Sundari’ is breezy(during its first hour), glossy and unfolds as a Kerala tourism dossier but reeks of highly familiar rhythms and beats that has been done and dusted in films like ‘DDLJ’, ‘Two States’, ‘Humpty Sharma’ and many other YRF or Dharma projects. Each frame looks extremely picture-perfect, over-colourised and the screen explodes like a riot or celebration, hinting at how desperately it tries to impress its audience while the emotional vacuum looms large.

In the age of AI, Param Sundari’s disposition of finding a soulmate by relying on machine learning and Algorithms, looks heavily misplaced because the film sets its own paradox – AI can’t replace or dictate human feelings. But Sundari still remains an AI-find for Param!

The second hour clearly reveals the writer ran out of ideas and fit scenes from a plethora of rom-coms, completely derailing its narrative. In the middle of nowhere, a Shankaran Trophy championship pops up and poses like a carnival of dances, vallamkaali (boar rowing) and even lemon spoon race! I was unable to figure out why and how Param and Sundari gathered the zest for Ekdum Danger when they were meant to be emotionally distraught.

To give credits where due, Siddharth and Jahnvi perform to the best of their abilities, but the haywire script and Jalota’s cardboard-cut treatment squanders their potential. Sid’s sweet shaqal and body fire is eye candy, but he does little to justify a character conflicted with numerous start-ups, shut downs and a label of ‘failure with enormous talent’ for wastage by his father, played by the spontaneous Sanjay Kapoor – a bright and reliable spot in the cringe fest, which derives fun and dopamine from its sidekick, Jaggy played by Manjot Singh (of Fukrey fame) – a talented actor still buried under the crushing weight of stereotypes since 2008.

Sid’s Param is more interested in wooing Sundari in true SRK style and charms, who’s ignorant about Baazigar and worships Laletan (Mohanlal). Jahnvi’s Sundari flourishes in Onam , oozing oomph and sensuality in those sarees that expose her curves and hug her derriere, but crushed under the obligations to marry her Amavam’s son because Bachpan mein Shaadi ka commitment woes!

The film extends its tribute to the king of romance – SRK – while referring to ‘Baazigar’ and a ‘Yeh Dil Deewana’ – to pump up the energy during a boat rowing race. Maddock's entry into this area is not only pretentious and artificial, but sacrilege. A production house revered for its smart and quirky offerings wastes time, money and efforts in producing such banal cinematic stereotypes.

 

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