Director Ranjith Shankar has criticised the Hindi film ‘Param Sundari’, starring Janhvi Kapoor, for its portrayal of Kerala and its people. According to Ranjith Shankar, the film misrepresents Malayalis in a negative and misleading way. This portrayal has sparked significant backlash, making ‘Param Sundari’ one of the most criticised films in recent times.

In a post on social media, Ranjith Shankar shared his thoughts: "‘Param Sundari’ does as much damage to Kerala as any other movie. It presents a picture-perfect version of a place with no mobile data, no internet, no evolution. But the real Kerala has moved on — and maybe it’s time cinema did too."

‘Param Sundari’, a romantic comedy, features Janhvi Kapoor as a Malayali girl. Since the release of the film’s trailer and songs, Janhvi’s character’s Malayalam dialogue and the Bollywood depiction of a Malayali persona have drawn heavy mockery online. This portrayal, according to Ranjith Shankar, only added to the criticism surrounding the film.

On the other hand, actor Renji Panicker, who also stars in the film, defended it against the criticism. He clarified that there was no intention to insult Malayalis or offer a serious critique of their culture. "It’s a fun movie," he explained. "The issues and flaws we face when speaking in another language are also reflected in the film when the characters speak Malayalam. The film’s target audience is never Malayalis, so it cannot be considered racist," he added.

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