“Param Sundari” Box Office Suffers Steep Decline, Trails Behind “Metro In Dino” Amidst Mixed Reviews

The romantic comedy “Param Sundari,” starring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, has experienced a significant downturn at the box office, with collections dropping sharply on its sixth day. The film, directed by Tushar Jalota, earned an estimated ₹2.85 crore net in India on Wednesday, marking a substantial dip from previous days. This midweek slump has brought its six-day total India net collection to approximately ₹37.10 crore, with a worldwide gross of around ₹59.50 crore.

Performance Drop and Comparisons

Sources indicate a nearly 40% drop in daily earnings for “Param Sundari” on Wednesday. This decline follows a pattern of inconsistent performance after a relatively strong opening weekend. The film’s total India gross collection stands at ₹44.50 crore, with overseas earnings contributing just over $1.5 million (approximately ₹15 crore).

In the competitive landscape of 2025 Bollywood releases, “Param Sundari” is not performing as well as anticipated, especially when compared to other romantic films. It is reportedly lagging behind “Metro In Dino,” which, despite underperforming relative to expectations, has managed a worldwide gross of ₹62.25 crore after its run. Furthermore, “Param Sundari” has not come close to the success of other recent romantic comedies like Maddock Films’ “Bhool Chuk Maaf,” which collected ₹89 crore worldwide earlier this year. Even more stark is the comparison with “Saiyaara,” a romantic drama that achieved a phenomenal ₹570 crore worldwide, highlighting a vast disparity in audience reception and commercial success.

Sidharth Malhotra’s Box Office Standing

Despite the current downturn, “Param Sundari” has managed to secure a place among Sidharth Malhotra’s top box office performers. With ₹37.10 crore net in India after six days, the film has surpassed his previous outings like “Thank God” (₹36.35 crore), “Yodha” (₹35.74 crore), and “Baar Baar Dekho” (₹31.24 crore). It now ranks as his seventh-highest-grossing film domestically, narrowly trailing “Hasee Toh Phasee” (₹37.36 crore). His biggest hit remains “Ek Villain” (₹105.76 crore).

Background and Reception

“Param Sundari,” produced by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films, has faced mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its music and the chemistry between Malhotra and Kapoor. However, the film has also drawn criticism for its stereotypical depiction of Kerala and its people, leading to backlash on social media. The narrative, which follows a Punjabi boy falling for a South Indian girl from Kerala, reportedly drew comparisons to Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone’s “Chennai Express.”

The film’s budget is estimated at ₹60 crore, and with its current trajectory, it has recovered approximately 65% of its budget in the first six days. The arrival of new releases like “Baaghi 4,” “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” and “The Bengal Files” is expected to further reduce the number of screens for “Param Sundari,” impacting its chances of significant recovery. Industry experts suggest that negative word-of-mouth and mixed reviews have played a crucial role in dampening audience footfalls, compounded by the competitive release calendar. The film’s performance underscores the challenges faced by mid-budget romantic comedies in the current entertainment landscape, where audience preference is increasingly divided between massive spectacles and critically acclaimed, engaging stories.

The coming days will be crucial in determining if “Param Sundari” can stabilize its performance and make any significant gains before it exits theatres, a challenging prospect given the current box office climate.