The brilliance of the 1981 film lay in its honesty.
Param Sundari is out in cinemas and is another film that follows Bollywood’s long-explored formula of cross-cultural romances.
Starring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, the film centres on a Punjabi man who falls in love with a Malayali woman.
Its premise mirrors a long tradition in Hindi cinema: lovers navigating family opposition, cultural differences, and society’s gaze.
Bollywood fans know this is a formula that has endured for decades and evolved with every generation of moviegoers, ensuring success.
With that said, let’s look at how Bollywood has embraced cross-country love stories over the decades.
The Pioneer
If there was ever a film to set the blueprint for intercultural romance in Bollywood, it was K Balachander’s Ek Duuje Ke Liye.
Starring Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri, it followed a Tamil boy and a North Indian girl whose love faced fierce opposition from their families.
The brilliance of the 1981 film lay in its honesty.
It tackled linguistic barriers, cultural stereotypes and the suffocating weight of parental disapproval.
Unlike the candyfloss romances of its time, this story was rooted in reality.
Its tragic ending reinforced the harsh truth: love across cultural divides often came at great personal cost.
Decades later, Ek Duuje Ke Liye is still remembered as the benchmark for Bollywood romances that dared to challenge the limits of tradition.
A Lighthearted Take in the 1990s
By the 1990s, Bollywood’s tone had shifted.
Mahesh Bhatt’s Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke offered a comedic spin on the cross-cultural love story.
Juhi Chawla’s Vyjayanti, a Tamilian girl fleeing her conservative family, lands in the chaotic world of Aamir Khan’s Rahul Malhotra.
The film thrived on humour, misunderstandings and comic clashes.
Yet beneath the fun lay a progressive message: that love can bridge even the most rigid cultural boundaries.
Unlike Ek Duuje Ke Liye, this film replaced tragedy with warmth, proving that audiences were ready for optimism.
Comedic Focus
By the 2000s, India was changing rapidly and Bollywood mirrored this change.
Rohit Shetty’s Chennai Express captured the spirit of a country embracing diversity.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Rahul, on a journey to immerse his grandfather’s ashes, crosses paths with Deepika Padukone’s Meenalochni.
What followed was a mix of masala action, comedy, and romance through Tamil Nadu.
While exaggerated in places, the film was a massive hit because it combined Bollywood masala entertainment with the theme of cultural integration.
Deepika’s fiery performance, complete with an authentic accent and traditional touches, made the character unforgettable.
Chennai Express was less about lovers fighting against odds and more about joyfully blending identities, reflecting how Bollywood had evolved alongside India’s global outlook.
Relatable Modern Drama
Adapted from Chetan Bhagat’s novel, 2 States presented intercultural romance in a distinctly modern light.
Arjun Kapoor’s Krish, a Punjabi boy, falls for Alia Bhatt’s Ananya, a Tamilian girl, during their time at IIM Ahmedabad.
The film depicted young love with ease, but the true challenge came when families entered the equation.
Punjabi flamboyance clashed with Tamil conservatism, yet the narrative balanced humour with sincerity.
It captured the awkward but relatable negotiations that couples face when cultures collide.
With over Rs. 100 crore at the box office, 2 States proved that such stories resonated with contemporary audiences, who saw themselves reflected on screen.
Why Cross-Cultural Romances Work in Bollywood
Bollywood has long been a mirror of Indian society. Inter-cultural romances survive because they reflect a reality many viewers know firsthand.
India is diverse, divided by language, food, festivals, and traditions. Yet love often transcends these lines.
These stories also work because they bring natural conflict and drama.
Family resistance, stereotypes and clashing values heighten the stakes, keeping audiences emotionally invested. At the same time, they often leave room for humour.
Misunderstandings around food, language or rituals add comedy, balancing tension with lighter moments.
Music and dance play a vital role too, with contrasting styles woven together to symbolise harmony while showcasing India’s cultural richness.
More importantly, these films often carry progressive messaging. They encourage acceptance, challenge prejudice and present love as a force that unites rather than divides.
Each era has shaped these stories differently – tragic in the 1980s, comedic in the 1990s, celebratory in the 2000s, and relatable in the 2010s.
From Ek Duuje Ke Liye to 2 States, Bollywood’s portrayal of cross-cultural romances has captured changing Indian attitudes towards love and tradition.
They continue to strike a chord because they celebrate love and India’s diversity.
Param Sundari is the latest addition and this pairing feels refreshing because the Punjabi-Malayali dynamic is relatively unexplored.
Following its release on August 29, 2025, Param Sundari joins a rich tradition of stories that remind us why Bollywood remains the world’s greatest stage for love across borders.
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