The earlier meandering pace did make me a shade restive, but that was probably for establishing characters. Mid-way and near the end of this 115-minute drama, we seemed to see the male protagonist, Shrirenu Tripathi (R. Madhavan) confused enough to back someone who was right—his sister-in-law Kusum (Ayesha Raza Mishra) over a key issue, while paradoxically not having the gumption to stand up to what is correct himself. But then, it all falls into place in a natural way.
This is Karan Johar’s second film after Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023) that shows Bengalis and their cultures as progressive and bold, while showing others (Punjabis there, those from Jharkhand here!) as stuck in a regressive time warp. Wonder what’s the secret there!
Now for the story. Shrirenu is a bachelor at 42—and a virgin. At the instance of his friend (Namit Das), he goes on an App named Aap Jaisa Koi, encountering a woman who oozes sexuality at him. By chance, a client of his sister-in-law Kusum (she makes pickles, and incidentally cares for him like a mother) informs her that he has got just the right proposal for him (after many did not work out!)—a 32 year-old Bengali girl from Kolkata named Madhu Bose (Fatima Sana Shaikh). Like Shrirenu, she is a teacher (her subject is French, Shrirenu’s is Sanskrit).
Madhu is even willing to move to Jamshedpur when Shrirenu baulks at the idea of a long-distance marriage. They meet and get along like a house on fire despite their age difference and other contrasting values. She even gently teases him about his traits and makes no bones of the fact that “hardly any single person nowadays can be expected to be a virgin”. And Shrirenu does not admit that he is one!
The families interact and seem to get along, though Shrirenu’s elder and somewhat didactic brother Bhanu (Manish Chaudhary), has certain reservations. In Madhu’s family (she has no father), a whole lot of supportive relatives are there, and her grandmother (Beena) also conducts dance classes.
At the engagement ceremony, however, something happens that makes Shrirenu cancel the wedding. What happens next? Correction: What all happens next between the families of Shrirenu and Madhu?
All that has to be watched on screen! It is enough to say here that within this love story is a key social statement on gender equality. And there is another couple involved here! That’s the surprise as well.
Knitted together with fine dialogues and a couple of (in the film) decently written songs, the film, in the always-crucial second half, wins you over completely. Vivek Soni directs well, improving upon his 2021 debut, Meenakshi Sundareshwar, and the script, despite the slight plodding in the first half, is still engaging overall without going into hyper or melodramatic mode.
Fatima Sana Shaikh may have a less lengthy role vis-à-vis R. Madhavan’s, but is still very good indeed as Madhu Bose. As for R. Madhavan, he truly internalizes his nerdy character and his expressions are absolutely superb, right from his eyebrows to his stern or glum expressions. Rocketry, The Railway Men, Shaitaan, Kesari 2…the bunch of his outstanding performances in totally diverse roles continues! A Rah! Rah! to that!
Ayesha Raza Mishra is excellent in a limited role, and Namit Das as Shrirenu’s best friend, Deepak, Karan Wahi as Madhu’s ex-boyfriend are also good. Madhu’s clan, comprising Anubha Fatehpuria as her mother, Shubhronil Chatterjee as Madhu’s single maternal uncle, Beena Banerjee as Madhu’s grandmother, Ananya Chatterjee as Shona, Madhu’s maternal aunt, Kumar Kanchan Ghosh as Pritam mausa, Pubali Sanyal as Bidisha mausi, and Shashie Vermaa as Parikshit mausa, and Divyam Dubey and Sachin Kavetham as Shrirenu’s students also shine. Standing out is Shriyam Bhagnani as Kusum’s daughter.
As Shrirenu’s relatives, Manish Chaudhari as his brother, Sanjeev Wilson as his uncle and Ritu Chaudhry Seth as the latter’s wife are alright.
Justin Prabhakaran’s background score helps things along and the technical values are upscale as well.
This one’s a pleasurable watch, especially in view of both the concurrent poor big-screen releases this week. Compared to them, this one’s an outright winner!
Rating: ***1/2
Netflix presents Dharmatic Entertainment’s Aap Jaisa Koi Produced by: Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Adar Poonawalla & Somen Mishra Directed by: Vivek Soni Written by: Radhika Anand & Jehan Handa Music: Justin Prabhakaran & Rochak Kohli Starring; R. Madhavan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Namit Das, Karan Wahi, Manish Chaudhari, Shriyam Bhagnani, Shubhronil Chatterjee, Beena Banerjee, Ananya Chatterjee, Kumar Kanchan Ghosh, Pubali Sanyal, Shashie Vermaa, Divyam Dubey, Sachin Kavetham, Anubha Fatehpuria, Ritu Chaudhari Seth, Sanjeev Wilson, Dipika Singh & others
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