Janhvi Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra’s Param Sundari Celebrates Shah Rukh Khan’s Legacy
Opening his arms wide, Shah Rukh Khan said, “Main Hoon Na,” while taking the baton of romantic films ahead. One of the strongest pillars of Bollywood, the superstar redefined romance and changed the way the audience perceived love stories. With his impeccable comic timing and magnetic personality, love seemed real and less fictional. Shah Rukh has inspired writers and directors to push the creative limits and tap into alleys of romance nobody ever thought of.
Param Sundari’s tribute to Shah Rukh Khan
Recently, the release of Param Sundari, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, sparked comparisons with Shah Rukh and Deepika Padukone’s Chennai Express. Having watched the rom-com, it can be confidently said that instead of ‘copying’, the Tushar Jalota directorial celebrates the superstar’s contribution to cinema. It is a very ‘sundar’ love letter to the king of romance.
In Param Sundari, Sidharth plays the Dilliwala ‘dilwala’, who goes to Kerala (not Europe) to find his ‘dulhania’. He is an investor and has a keen interest in locking a deal with a dating app. A firm believer of ‘Kisi mahapurush ne kaha hai kahin na kahin, koi na koi har kisi ke liye bana hai’, he travels to Nangiarkulangara to meet Sundari as suggested by the AI-based dating app. The Dil To Pagal Hai reference does elevate the mood of the film and gives Sidharth a chance to return to his chocolate boy days. He doesn’t attempt to ape Shah Rukh; Sidharth gives his own touch.
This love letter to Shah Rukh also includes a couple of his songs and dialogues. Sidharth’s Param is a quintessential filmy hero who doesn’t shy away from showing his swag and charm. Besides the chemistry that Shah Rukh has with his female co-stars, Sidharth attempts to imbibe certain traits, and his study of romantic films clearly shows off.
Shah Rukh Khan references in Param Sundari
The tribute to Shah Rukh doesn’t come as a surprise. The trailer of Param Sundari features Sidharth saying, “Haar kar jeetne wale ko bazigar kehte hai,” to which Janhvi expresses that she’s clueless. The writer goes unabashed with Shah Rukh references and his impact on building the character of Param. Towards the end, when Param has to win Sundari’s heart, he participates in a boat race. As the rhythm of the boat fails to improve, he brings Shah Rukh to rescue by singing, Yeh Dil Deewana. The other people on the boat join him in singing, and this maintains a steady pace. Eventually, they win the race.
Without being in Param Sundari, Shah Rukh’s presence is strongly felt. His iconic movies serve as important references and evoke nostalgia. One of the main characters of the narrative, Shah Rukh, once again, casts his magic.
Param Sundari, directed by Tushar Jalota, has released in theatres on August 29. The film also stars Sanjay Kapoor, Manjot Singh, Renji Panicker, Siddhartha Shankar and Inayat Varma.