In his 12-year career so far, Sidharth Malhotra has done a handful of rom-coms, including Hasee Toh Phasee (2014) and Baar Baar Dekho (2016). It’s time for the actor to give romance another shot with his next, tentatively titled Param Sundari. Last week, mid-day reported that Malhotra and leading lady Janhvi Kapoor were to originally front a thriller, but had a change of heart and decided to team up for a rom-com instead (Thriller aborted, rom-com on, Oct 18). Now, a bit of digging has revealed that Tushar Jalota’s directorial venture is a classic story of opposites attract, with Malhotra’s character hailing from north India and Kapoor’s from Kerala.

Sources tell us that the leading man essays a suave and rich business tycoon from Delhi. “Janhvi plays a modern artist with strong views and value system. Her character is a south Indian woman from Kerala. The film chronicles how the two fall in love despite having such contrasting personalities,” says a source. 

Pre-production on the love story, which marks the lead pair’s first collaboration, has begun. Jalota, who previously helmed the Abhishek Bachchan-led  Dasvi (2022), is apparently planning to take Param Sundari on floors in December.

“The first schedule will kick off with Sidharth in Delhi. The team will then head for a stint in Kerala, following which the rest will be shot at specially constructed sets at a Mumbai studio. The production design team has been instructed to erect two elaborate sets in Mumbai, one reflecting a sprawling house as seen in Delhi and another reflecting the earthy interiors of traditional Kerala homes. If things go as planned, filming will wrap up by February 2025. Sheetal Sharma, who recently worked on Munjya and Stree 2, is serving as the costume designer on this project. The look tests of both actors were conducted recently.”

With the movie’s title having its roots in Kriti Sanon’s dance number from Mimi (2021), rumours are rife that she will have a cameo in the Dinesh Vijan production. The makers, however, are tight-lipped about it.