‘Aap Jaisa Koi' movie review: Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh in a charming yet uneven rom-com

The Hindu

8 hours ago

With every other 'big-budget' film trying to outdo itself with choreographed, exhausting action sequences, special effects, and over-the-top theatrics, the slow, sweet charm of a simple rom-com is much missed. Aap Jaisa Koi, Dharma Productions' latest streaming on Netflix begins with a nod to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai of course, the bubblegum rom-com of the 2000s that felt like a romance launchpad for the millennials of that era.
Romance and dating however seems to have unrecognisably evolved since then, and Aap Jaisa Koi attempts to bring alive this modern love; a tale of opposites, their environs, and the struggle to find THE ONE.
Shrirenu Tripathi (R Madhavan), 42 year old Sanskrit professor in Jamshedpur who swings between grumpy and sweet grapples with singledom and trying to find a romantic partner. He is a great conversationalist on the phone, but struggles to not become a quaking mess once he meets women in-person, and is facing a string of rejections. His bachelor status is always on his mind of course, but is also great fodder for his family, friends and even his students at school.
Aap Jaisa Koi (Hindi)
Director: Vivek Soni
Cast: R. Madhavan, Fatima Sana Shaikh
Runtime: 110 minutes
Storyline: A longtime bachelor finds himself dealing with internal biases and societal expectations when he falls in love with a younger woman who is starkly different from him
Fortunes change however, when an alliance comes through his family's neighbours for Madhu Bose (Fatima Sana Shaikh), a 32 year old French teacher. She is sweet, witty and charming, and Shri begins to loosen up around her, despite his disbelief that she seems to actually fancy him given their differences in age and pretty much everything. She's drawn to his old-world charm, his simpleness and the decent, uncomplicated man he seems to be. And for him, he just cannot seem to believe his luck.
Shri and Madhu slowly get to know each other over coffee dates, old movie screenings, and walks by the river in a rain-washed, stunningly framed Kolkata with a lovely soundtrack. They trade sweet nothings in their favourite languages, and even when Shri constantly says he isn't unique or special, Madhu is steadfast in her feelings for him — she simply asks him to deal with it.
Even though the film takes a rather sudden turn and Shri doesn't seem to be the simple, uncomplicated man Madhu has fallen for, it doesn't feel too surprising. His male ego, chauvinistic ideals, and notions of how in line women should be feel all too familiar. At home, Shri's conservative brother Bhanu(Manish Chaudhary) has afterall been preaching these ideals for a while now and we don't see Shri jump up to defend his niece or his brother's wife (an excellent Ayesha Raza) even once. Madhu is however shocked, given how her large, progressive Bengali family has seemingly eschewed these conservative notions.
Aap Jaisa Koi is largely sweet and charming when it focuses solely on its main characters. But the film's uneven writing is a result of it trying to deal with everything, everywhere all at once. Problems crop up with multiple characters onscreen, there are parallel storylines that seem to be built up only for it to be dealt with hurriedly, and sudden realisations and monologues replace a more gradual redemption arc.
The lead couple have an age-gap, but it is rather refreshing that this doesn't make for unnecessary theatrics at the start. When Shri is forced to confront his judgement, and being called a chauvinistic pig, he of course blames it on his age and being a 'simple man'. It is impressive that the film attempts to tackle patriarchy within a household as well, with Ayesha not just shamed for desires by her husband, but also ridiculed for her ambition. This is an environment where men take pride in 'allowing' their women to get things done. Aap Jaisa Koi's problem however is not knowing which part of the story to deal with to the fullest and as a result, the film feels like a muddle of several great ideas that lack some much needed depth and nuance.
While Madhavan seems to be at home playing the bumbling, yet largely sweet Shri, who is forced to confront his patriarchal mindset and insecurities, Fatima Sana Shaikh often comes off looking awkward and stilted. They work well as a couple onscreen and yet, seem to miss a bit of that sparkle that a romance like this needed.
Great ideas and charm aside, Aap Jaisa Koi feels like squandered potential given how it could have worked better as a romance that focussed solely on its leads. The contrasting families and their ideals make for interesting viewing, but Madhu and Shri needed their own film to figure out their feelings, sans some convenient family drama.
Aap Jaisa Koi is currently streaming on Netflix