By: Entertainment Desk Mumbai | August 23, 2025 05:18 PM IST 2 min readJanhvi Kapoor has faced criticism on social media for her accent and depiction of a Malayali character.Amid ongoing criticism over her accent and portrayal of a Malayali character in the upcoming film Param Sundari, actor Janhvi Kapoor has spoken about the cultural background of her character in the film. Speaking to ET Digital, Janhvi explained that her character in the romantic comedy is of mixed heritage, half Malayali and half Tamilian. She also reflected on what drew her to the film in the first place.While Janhvi did not speak about the criticism directly, she said that her character in the film is half-Tamlian and half-Malayali, and mentioned that neither her, nor her late mother Sridevi come from Kerala. She shared, “Finally, here was a story that had all of that, but also gave me the chance to go towards my roots. Of course, I’m not a Malayali, and neither was my mother, but my character is actually half-Tamilian and half-Malayali. I’ve always been very interested in that terrain and that culture, and I’m also a huge fan of Malayalam cinema. So yeah, I think it was just a very fun, interesting story, and I’m so happy and grateful that I could be a part of it.”Also Read | Param Sundari trailer: Sidharth Malhotra-Janhvi Kapoor-starrer is a fun North-meets-South rom-com drama; fans say, ‘Saiyaara and now this’Janhvi’s comments come in the wake of intensifying online trolling, particularly over her accent and wardrobe in the film. One of the more vocal critics has been Malayalam singer Pavithra Menon, who posted a video dissecting Janhvi’s performance and attire, expressing her disappointment with how the Malayali identity was represented. However, the conversation took a new turn when Pavithra revealed that Instagram had removed her video following a copyright strike. Sharing a screenshot of the notice, she said the takedown was prompted by a claim from a “third party.” In response, she wrote in her caption: “Happy Independence Day to everyone who has a voice.”Param Sundari is set to release on August 29 and also stars Sidharth Malhotra. The film is directed by Tushar Jalota and produced by Dinesh Vijan under the Maddock Films banner.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Janhvi KapoorSiddharth Malhotra