Bollywood’s romantic comedy drama, Param Sundari, featuring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, has wrapped up its theatrical run, and unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit the mark. Despite all the excitement leading up to its release and the star-studded cast, the film fell short at the box office, finishing with domestic earnings below the Rs 50 crore mark. This outcome has left both industry experts and fans scratching their heads, wondering what went wrong with a film that seemed to have all the right ingredients on paper.
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Join Telegram ChannelDirected by Tushar Jalota and produced by a major studio, the film aimed to blend romance, comedy, and music into a feel-good entertainer. Initially, things looked promising. The release on August 29 was met with high expectations, especially after the much-discussed track Pardesiya, sung by Sonu Nigam, hit the airwaves. The song created a buzz, dominating playlists and social media for weeks, but that initial excitement didn’t translate into sustained interest once the film hit the big screen.
On its opening day, Param Sundari kicked off with a respectable Rs 6.85 crore, sparking hope that positive word of mouth might help it gain momentum. The first weekend saw the numbers climb, and by the end of its opening week, the film had racked up around Rs 37 crore. Interestingly, a significant portion of this revenue came from aggressive Buy-One-Get-One ticket promotions, which boosted sales but also highlighted that the audience turnout was more about discounts than genuine interest. Without those offers, the first-week earnings would have likely been much lower.
Things took a sharp turn in the second week. With new competitors hitting the big screen — like the horror sequel The Conjuring: Last Rites, the action-packed Baaghi 4, and the intense drama The Bengal Files — Param Sundari quickly lost its hold on the audience. It dropped from Rs 37 crore in its first week to a mere Rs 9 crore in the second week, marking a staggering 75 percent decline. By the third week, the film was barely moving, adding just Rs 2.5 crore more. With Jolly LLB 3 making its debut in the fourth week, Param Sundari’s theatrical run was practically over, scraping together only another Rs 0.25 crore. When all was said and done, Param Sundari wrapped up with a total of Rs 48.50 crore nett in India, officially marking its status as a box office flop.
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For both Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, this film’s failure adds to a series of disappointing performances at the box office. While both actors are undeniably talented and have given memorable performances in the past, their pairing and the film’s overall story just didn’t resonate with audiences this time around. Despite being promoted as a lively rom-com filled with humor, heart, and music, the execution fell flat and didn’t leave a lasting impression.
That said, it’s worth mentioning that the producers of Param Sundari might not have taken as big a financial hit as the box office numbers imply. Thanks to savvy pre-release deals, including digital, satellite, and music rights, the film managed to secure some decent profits. This seems to be a growing trend in Bollywood — even when films don’t perform well in theaters, non-theatrical revenue helps filmmakers recoup their costs.
From the audience’s perspective, though, the theatrical verdict is clear: Param Sundari didn’t live up to expectations. In a time when viewers have a wealth of options with big-screen spectacles and high-quality OTT content, films need to bring more to the table than just the usual formulas. The lack of strong word of mouth, reliance on discounts, and poor performance against competitors ultimately sealed the fate of this film.
