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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Aap Jaisa Koi' doesn't wage war on patriarchy. It asks it to listen
In Indian cinema, patriarchy rarely announces itself with a clenched fist. It arrives as habit. As inheritance, and politeness. It lingers in the pauses of male entitlement — in who gets to interrupt, who is expected to adjust, who walks ahead on the street, and who apologises first in love. Netflix's new film, Aap Jaisa Koi, directed by Vivek Soni, doesn't wage war on patriarchy. It does something rarer — asking it to sit down quietly and listen. The film explores what equal love might look like — not as ideology, but as everyday practice. In doing so, it touches one of Indian cinema's enduring blind spots: The inability to portray intimacy without hierarchy. Patriarchy in Indian cinema has often been dramatised as violence — a father opposing a marriage, a man slapping his wife, or an overt villain controlling the heroine's choices. But its most persistent form is subtle, woven into affection, justified by culture, and disguised as care. Aap Jaisa Koi understands this deeply. Its male protagonist, Shrirenu Tripathi (played with affecting restraint by R Madhavan), is not a patriarch in the classical sense. He is soft-spoken, educated, even kind. But his kindness comes with conditions. His affection arrives with hesitation. His silence, as the film shows, is not always humility — sometimes it's avoidance, sometimes entitlement. In one of the most telling scenes, Shrirenu delays expressing his feelings for Madhu Bose (Fatima Sana Shaikh), even as she meets him halfway emotionally. When she finally says, 'Don't make your hesitation my burden,' it's not a line crafted for applause. It's a quiet resistance — the kind women are forced to offer in relationships built on unequal emotional labour. What distinguishes Aap Jaisa Koi is its commitment to subtlety — not as aesthetic, but as politics. The film resists loud feminism or confrontational drama. Instead, it offers something more intimate: A portrait of negotiation. Between two people. Between tradition and selfhood. Between care and control. Shaikh's Madhu is not a cinematic 'strong woman'. She is not angry, argumentative, or radical in the traditional sense. Her strength lies in her refusal to bend quietly. She asks questions. She sets boundaries. She is warm, but unyielding when needed. And crucially, she does not 'fix' the man — she waits for him to meet her on equal ground, or not at all. That itself is a disruption of cinematic convention. Indian heroines have long been expected to absorb — the anger, the indifference, the delay, the distance. Madhavan's portrayal of Shrirenu is particularly moving because it shows a man struggling not with love, but with unlearning. He is not cruel; he is conditioned. Raised in a family where men withdraw rather than speak, where decisions are made on their behalf by well-meaning elders, his emotional language is half-formed. His journey is not about transformation, but about recognising that passivity can be a form of control, too. In one key moment, when Madhu offers him affection and clarity, he withdraws, calling himself 'not ready'. But the film does not applaud this honesty. Instead, it holds him accountable. Readiness, it suggests, is not a virtue when it leaves someone else waiting in uncertainty. The film's point here is profound: Emotional withholding, when unacknowledged, becomes its own form of power. Director Vivek Soni and cinematographer Debojeet Ray craft this story with warmth and quietness. There is no spectacle. A raised eyebrow, a pause, a half-finished sentence become tools of power and protest. One such moment comes when Madhu, returning from a frustrating family visit, confronts Shrirenu not with anger but with clarity. She says what women are often expected to leave unsaid: That love without equality is not romantic — it is exhausting. And the film listens. We are living in a time when mainstream Indian cinema is haltingly turning its gaze inward. Aap Jaisa Koi is part of that shift. It doesn't deliver a lecture on gender. It models a conversation — one where silence is interrogated, not celebrated; where love is offered, but not at the cost of self. In doing so, it asks: What does a truly equal relationship look like in a culture still learning to name its biases? And what happens when we stop applauding the bare minimum from men, and start expecting more? The film doesn't offer easy resolutions. But it offers something better: The possibility that if we can acknowledge our conditioning, we can change it. Gently. Daily. Together. The writer is an actor, educator, filmmaker, and public policy advocate
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Aap Jaisa Koi Movie Review: R Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh's May-December romance doesn't go beyond its springtime aesthetics
After boy meets girl, it's time for the second stage of love: family meets family. The Tripathis are a patriarchal lot. Shrirenu's elder brother Bhanu (Manish Chaudhari) is in the real estate business and treats women too like property. His wife Kusum (Ayesha Raza) feels neglected while daughter Nisha (Shriyam Bhagnani), although qualified, has to be at the receiving end of sexist instructions. The Boses, on the other hand, are Dharma's version of a Bengali family, full with sitar-teaching grandmother, office-going women and closeted-writer uncle. Bhanu is judgmental of the Boses' modernity, but it isn't much of a hindrance and the couple gets engaged. On the day, however, Shrirenu gets a surprise which could have been seen from miles before. Madhu is the same girl who was moaning his name on the app. Although liberal in mind and pookie in mannerisms, Shrirenu might have some red flags in his spirit.
Pink Villa
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Aap Jaisa Koi Ending Explained: Do Shrirenu and Madhu marry after breaking their engagement?
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Fans were treated to yet another romantic movie this Friday but with a fresh and unique pairing of Fatima Sana Shaikh and R Madhavan. The story is about a middle-aged man, Shrirenu, who has not found love or a girl to get married to. He is 42. In his quest to find a perfect match, he comes across Madhu Bose, a 32-year-old teacher. How their love story unfurls is what Aap Jaisa Koi is all about. Shrirenu joins Aap Jaisa Koi app Shrirenu (R Madhavan), a Sanskrit teacher, leads a very boring life. With no partner and a dull social life, he lives in Jamshedpur alone. His brother and sister-in-law often keep sharing several profiles of girls with him, but to no avail. It was then that his friend introduced him to a s*x chatting app Aap Jaisa Koi. His life changes after this, taking a drastic turn. Shrirenu meets Madhu Shrirenu's sister-in-law informs him about a marriage proposal he received from a girl named Madhu from Kolkata. He visits Kolkata with zero expectations, but when he sees her, he is blown away by her beauty. The two connect instantly, and their cute chemistry wins your heart. Shrirenu and Madhu finally fall head over heels for each other. Their families meet and fix their engagement and wedding. But, on the engagement day, Shrirenu realises that Madhu is the same girl he was talking to on the app. Shrirenu and Madhu break their engagement Upon confronting, Madhu reveals that she developed a soft corner for Shrirenu when they were talking on the app, and that's when she started searching for him. When she finally found him, she sent a marriage proposal. But Shrirenu couldn't fathom the fact that she was on a s*x chatting app. He then breaks their engagement. Madhu's ex Namit returns Later, Shrirenu realises his mistake and wants to go back to Madhu. But when he visits Kolkata, he sees Madhu with his ex-boyfriend, Namit. From there begins his struggle to impress Madhu and win her heart again. So, do Madhu and Shrirenu get back together? In the end, Shrirenu finally proposes to Madhu and apologizes for his narrow thinking. He promises to treat her equally in love while blaming his upbringing and society for his mindset. Madhu happily accepts his apology and they live happily ever after.
NDTV
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Aap Jaisa Koi Review: R Madhavan, Fatima Sana Shaikh's Film On Female Sexual Desire Drowns In Too Much Talk
What's the most disgusting question a man can ask a woman? For Madhu Bose, played by Fatima Sana Shaikh in Aap Jaisa Koi, "You are a virgin, right?" is the long and short of it. One could argue that this is the 21st century, women are equal to men, they should enjoy the same rights as their male counterparts, blah, blah, blah. But, who are we kidding? It's often one step forward two steps back for women, be it homemakers, students, or working professionals, both at home and outside. Aap Jaisa Koi, Netflix's latest film directed by Vivek Soni (Meenakshi Sundaram), makes all the right noise about female desire, agency, and an attack on patriarchy, and it almost succeeds. A heavy-handed flourish puts a dampener in the apt messaging. Perfect Recipe For A Rom-Com Aap Jaisa Koi is a romantic comedy about a nerdy boy called Shrirenu Tripathi, essayed by R Madhavan, and a cute girl named Madhu Bose. He's 42, she's 32. He lives in Steel City Jamshedpur, she hails from Kolkata. He is a Sanskrit teacher, she is a French teacher. He plays the sitar, she plays the piano. He is shy, mousy, and a virgin. She is assertive, confident, and experienced. They couldn't be more different than chalk and cheese. On paper, they aren't supposed to work. But they have some things in common, the fulcrum of every staple romantic comedy -- they like their tea with less milk, more patti, and with ginger, fennel, and cardamom; they are looking for a jugalbandi like love; and they both have a common secret unbeknownst to them. Like many millennials, Shrirenu also grew up in the 1990s, watching Karan Johar's Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Aap Jaisa Koi is produced by Karan Johar's Dharmatic Entertainment, in case you didn't know) and believing in the mantra of " Pyaar dosti hai". It was until he is "cursed" by his crush that he would neither get pyaar nor sex in life. Result - he is unmarried and still a virgin who is under a false impression that he is educated and liberal. Madhu is ubashed and assured while talking about relationships, both sexual and emotional. She knows what she wants and goes for it, making her a what a section of society loves to refer to as a "very forward woman". She earns well enough that if need be she could also support her husband financially and also would be ready to move cities. She is among those women who drink, make merry, play cards, and god forbid, if she has a take on politics. A Plea For Equal Love There are many callbacks in Aap Jaisa Koi about how love and respect should be mutual, how love only needs love, an equal love, jitne tum, utni main, and how women don't need permission from men to make decisions about their life. There is this great scene between Shrirenu and Madhu, the protagonists played by an earnest Madhavan and a dignified Fatima. When a sweet Shrirenu patronisingly tells Madhu that when they get married he would allow everything within some limits, Madhu politely claps back, saying "And why will you decide my limits?" So, who decides what a woman's limit should be and why? Why at all? The theme is on point and relevant -- women must have agency to work, to choose, to love, to have sex or not have sex, before or after marriage. But does being woke mean you can't be fun or entertaining? Does being aware of contemporary era mean the messaging has to be heavy handed? This was the same issue with Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. While it was Karan Johar's most realised film as a director, it got too preachy and was overstuffed with topics that had to be dealt with before the film ran its time. Both Rocky Aur Rani... and Aap Jaisa Koi have their heart in the right place. They are doing eveything right, there's messaging, the leads are good looking, there are beautiful locations, but they fall short in the execution. At the end of the day, it is a rom-com and that also from the Dharma stable which has given us some of the greatest love stories (read: dhokha) to millennials. In the end, Shrirenu emphatically says he's has been a teacher all his life but now wants to turn a new leaf, he wants to try to learn and be a good student in life about love on an equal footing. He says, " Galti karenge, toh maafi bhi maangege. Aap bas restest ka mauqa dijiyega." But until when men will have to be taught by women to not become aware, educate themselves about the women's agency and how to shun patrirachy? And why must the onus be on women to rehabilitate men? We can sure pitch in, but the heavy lifting from now must be done by men. No? Some Things To Love And Hat-Tips In Aap Jaisa Koi Aap Jaisa Koi gets its title from the iconic Nazia Hassan number from 1979's Qurbani featuring Zeenat Aman. That the song, composed by Biddu and written by Indeevar, was all about Zeenat Aman embracing her sexuality and feeling empowered, fits well here as the inspiration. Songs from Aap Jaisa Koi, the film, especially Mila Tujhe and Saare Jag Mein, penned by Raj Shekhar, are gems set to Justin Prabhakaran's music. There are many hat-tips to real people and ghosts in the movie, written by Radhika Anand. Shrirenu is based out of Jamshedpur, which is R Madhavan's birthplace. There's a fun reference to the horror comedy Stree right in the beginning of Aap Jaisa Koi. When Shrirenu's sister-in-law Kusum Bhabhi, played by Ayesha Raza in a scene-stealing performance, buys two dozen (must have cost a fortune) avocados, the produce happens to be from former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's farm. Dhoni spent his early cricketing days in Jamshedpur's Keenan Stadium. There's also a fleeting reference to Mann Ki Baat, but otherwise has no connection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio broadcast. R Madhavan's Shrirenu has shades of Manu Sharma from Tanu Weds Manu franchise and Fatima Sana Shaikh's Madhu is Tanu Trivedi from the Aanand L Rai's movies, only less manic pixie and with a laser sharp focus.
Scroll.in
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
‘Aap Jaisa Koi' review: An enervating opposites-attract romance
Vivek Soni's Aap Jaisa Koi stars two camera-friendly actors trying to pass themselves off as laggards in love. R Madhavan is Shrirenu, a 42-year-old virgin who has never managed to find a partner. Fatima Sana Shaikh is Madhu, a 32-year-old non-virgin who has loved and lost. Neither actor looks like the sort of person who has trouble getting it on, but a movie has to be made on the opposites-attract principle, so here we are. Shrirenu and Madhu establish a rapport despite being surrounded by the binaries that flourish in romantic dramas, if only to create false tension. He is from Jamshedpur, she is from Kolkata. He teaches Sanskrit, she, French. He is strait-laced, she's free-spirited. It is pointed out that 'if you only read Sartre and not Kalidas you are missing something'. Their mutual passion is doused by a discovery that reveals Shrirenu's limitations. Nobody can blame Madhu for wanting to walk away from the bookish and deadly dull Shrirenu. To give Shrirenu his due, Madhu isn't terribly interesting either. Writers Radhika Anand and Jehan Handa persevere, coming up with ways to flog the supposed differences not just between Shrirenu and Madhu but also their families. But Aap Jaisa Koi, like Vivek Soni's previous film Meenakshi Sundareshwar (2021), struggles to justify itself. Shrirenu's sister-in-law, the put-upon Kusum (Ayesha Raza), has the only promising track in a film that barely gets going. The Netflix release has a few soothing tunes by composer Justin Prabhakaran and magic realist scenes that enliven the pervasive dullness. There is some initially sharp character shading of Shrirenu, who's clueless about how clueless he is. He wishes that his pet mouse will find a partner soon, unable to see that the poor rodent is in a cage. The feeling of being trapped in socially sanctioned roles, the oppressiveness of family ties, the conservatism that influences Shrirenu's thinking – none of these quite come through. Perfectly made-up characters in heavily art directed surroundings enact a pantomime of self-realisation, emancipation and redemption. One of the most inspired moments comes in the end credits, which are based on Kalighat paintings. Play
