Acting is supposed to be about change, surprise, transformation. But Janhvi Kapoor seems to have settled into being a living post-card — same expressions, same accent, same costume swaps, different day. Her recent stretch of films, from Param Sundari to Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, feels less like craft and more like corporate checklist: Look South Indian once, look dreamy the next, always glamorous, never real.
And now comes Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, her upcoming film, Janhvi Kapoor’s next big release under Dharma Productions, yet it already looks like another copy-paste job from her filmography. Despite being the main lead, her role offers nothing new—no emotional arc, no physical transformation, not even a hint of versatility. The trailer and stills show the same over-done makeup, nasal dialogue delivery, and glamorous designer outfits, making it feel less like a character and more like a fashion ad. Audiences are already calling it “just another Janhvi performance,” where the clothes change but the acting remains painfully identical.
Take Param Sundari (2025) — she plays a Malayali girl in cross-cultural romance, with all the bright song-sequences and idealised visuals, but the portrayal drew fire for its stereotypical depiction of Kerala. Viewers trolled her accent, especially her use of Malayalam slang “theykkapetta,” saying it felt fake, clumsy, as if she picked catchy words to pretend authenticity. Meanwhile Param Sundari has also been called “predictable rom-com,” with critics praising visuals and chemistry but slamming the weak storyline and uneven screenplay.
Before that, she was in Ulajh (2024), a spy-thriller where she plays an IFS officer entangled in conspiracy. Critics called Ulajh confusing, uneven and labelled it a box office bomb: it made around ₹11 crore worldwide, which is disappointingly low for its genre and cast. Then Mr. & Mrs. Mahi saw her playing a doctor turned cricketer (after her husband “discovers” her talent). Nice idea, but same Janhvi body language, same “female lead struggling to shine in romantic setup.”
Fans are not quiet. Reddit threads are full of complaints: “How has she been acting for so many years and yet her expressions are still the same?” “Buttoned up, stiff, always perfect hair. When does Janhvi stop posing, start performing?” “Every new trailer: ‘She plays a girl from this state’, ‘She has an accent’, ‘She’s torn between tradition and modern.’ Yawn.”
She has acknowledged some of the criticism. She says that after the pandemic, audience tastes have changed, and she wants stronger scripts (e.g. Mr & Mrs Mahi). But acknowledgment isn’t transformation. The pattern is clear: typecast, safe, photogenic, zero risk. She is not surprising anyone; she is comfortably doing versions of the same thing.
Janvi Kapoor may have a big banner backing, looks, costumes, and Instagram moments—but nothing is shaking the notion that she’s become a statue: motionless, predictable, safe. Until she pushes herself into roles that demand grit, change, emotional depth, she’ll stay stuck in this loop. Fans are tired of watching the same Janhvi recipe over and over — it’s high time she did more tha exist.