Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor’s charming chemistry anchors this rom-com

Story: Param Sundari is a cross-cultural love story between Param Sachdev (Sidharth Malhotra), a brattish North Indian boy, and Sundari (Janhvi Kapoor), a responsible and simple South Indian girl. Despite their contrasting personalities, traditions, and expectations, Param is convinced they are soulmates. But there’s more to their love story. Will love truly blossom for the duo? Review: Param wants his dad (Sanjay Kapoor) to invest in his dating app, but the pakka businessman senior first wants proof of concept, like the biggies in ‘fish tank’ (shark tank). If Param can find a soulmate online in a month, he can have the money. He matches with Thekkepattu Sundari Damodaram Pillai, or Sundari, in the beautiful and sleepy town of Kerala. As he reaches there, he is instantaneously smitten. But Sundari is less than impressed with him and his friend, Juggy (Manjot Singh) who can’t tell one South Indian from the other—not even Rajinikanth from Mohanlal. However, Param and Sundari take a liking for each other, but there are more roadblocks—Sundari is set to be married to Venu Gopal (Siddhartha Shankar), and she is miffed about being a part of Param’s business experiment. Can the Delhi boy win her over?Director Tushar Jalota’s film doesn’t tread new ground and leans on familiar tropes, yet it offers a light, watchable romantic fare. The narrative moves at a steady pace, though it isn’t thoroughly engaging and mostly feels predictable. The build up in the first half offers light moments, but things turn more formulaic in the second half.What works in the film’s favour are the picturesque Kerala backdrops, tender moments, and Sachin-Jigar’s music—particularly Pardesiya, Danger, and Sundari Ke Pyaar Mein. The humour is light in parts, though not every gag works equally well.The real highlight is the charming chemistry between Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, who make the opposites-attract arc believable and enjoyable. The actors light up the screen with their presence, especially Janhvi who looks gorgeous in the traditional Malayali avatar. Sanjay Kapoor, Manjot Singh, Renji Panicker, and Siddhartha Shankar lend able support.Even if it largely remains in the known territory, fans of breezy romances will find it a pleasant watch.