Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor take on the lead roles in Param Sundari, Maddock Films’ upcoming cross-cultural romantic drama. The film features Malhotra as Param, a man from North India who falls in love with Sundari from Kerala, played by Kapoor. Param Sundari marks the first collaboration between the two actors. A first look teaser for the film premiered in cinemas alongside Bhool Chuk Maaf before its official online release on May 29. The movie is slated to hit theatres on July 25. ‘Param Sundari’ Trailer Out: First Look of Sidharth Malhotra, Janhvi Kapoor’s Film Promoted As ‘Biggest Love Story’ Unveiled.

Param Sundari is written and directed by Tushar Jalota, best known for his 2022 social comedy Dasvi, which starred Abhishek Bachchan, Nimrat Kaur, and Yami Gautam. Dasvi premiered directly on Netflix and earned Abhishek Bachchan the Best Actor (Male) award at the 2022 Filmfare OTT Awards and the movie winning Best Film.

Before his directorial debut, Jalota worked as an assistant director on films such as Murder and Barfi! (both directed by Anurag Basu), as well as Zeher and Kalyug (directed by Mohit Suri), and Padmaavat by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, among others.

Watch 'Param Sundari' First Look Teaser:

His earlier association with banner Vishesh Films - known for titles like Murder, Zeher, and Kalyug - also led to his acting debut in a leading role. Unfortunately, that experience remained a one-off. Dasvi Movie Review: Nimrat Kaur Steals the Show in Abhishek Bachchan and Yami Gautam Dhar's Barely Funny Political Satire.

'Showbiz' - Tushar Jalota's Only Acting Credit

That film was Showbiz, which released in cinemas in 2007. Directed by Raju Khan (the son of the late choreographer Saroj Khan), with writing credits going to Shagufta Rafique and Mudassar Aziz, Showbiz was originally rumoured to star Emraan Hashmi before he was replaced by Jalota who plays a musician in the film. It marked Mrinalini Sharma’s third Hindi film and her first as the solo lead heroine.

Watch a Song From 'Showbiz':

The production faced several setbacks, including a fallout between the director and producers over budget issues, leading to Mohit Suri stepping in to complete the film. Upon release, Showbiz was both a critical and commercial failure, with Jalota’s performance receiving criticism. To date, this remains his only acting credit, after which he returned to assisting top-tier directors like Anurag Basu (Barfi!) and Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Padmaavat).

Tushar Jalota With His Filmfare Award for 'Dasvi'

 

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Given the more favourable reception of his directorial debut Dasvi, and with another project now under his belt, it’s safe to say that Tushar Jalota has found more success behind the camera than in front of it.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2025 05:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).