Aap Jaisa Koi (2025): A Sensitive Tale of Late-Blooming Love
Netflix premiered Aap Jaisa Koi on July 11, 2025, offering audiences a delicate, layered story about love, identity, and vulnerability. Directed by Vivek Soni and produced under Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment banner, the film stars R. Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh in a story that explores an unconventional romance between a shy Sanskrit professor in his 40s and a younger, confident French teacher.
The film touches on themes often ignored in mainstream Indian cinema—middle-aged virginity, emotional honesty, gender roles, and the discomfort of opening up. While the film makes a sincere attempt at storytelling, it stumbles occasionally under its own weight. Despite that, the core performances and intent of the film remain emotionally resonant.
🎭 Stellar Performances: Soul Over Spectacle
R. Madhavan as Shrirenu Tripathi
R. Madhavan sheds the charming hero archetype to play a restrained, awkward, and emotionally complex character. As Shrirenu, he builds a life defined by routine and modesty. His nervous glances, slow speech, and overthinking reflect the mindset of a man who never explored intimacy or modern dating. Madhavan shows no hesitation in portraying this vulnerability. He doesn’t overact or caricature the role. Instead, he delivers a nuanced and grounded performance. Audiences can see his discomfort and sincerity in every glance and pause.
Madhavan also physically transforms for the role. He adopts a clean-shaven look, loses weight, and even adjusts his posture to reflect his character’s hesitations. He recently shared that he wanted to represent Indian men who feel caught between traditional values and modern expectations. In interviews, he spoke openly about how men often lack the emotional tools to navigate romance beyond their youth. His real-life perspective added depth to the character’s emotional authenticity.
Fatima Sana Shaikh as Madhu Bose
Fatima plays Madhu, a French teacher who radiates self-confidence but carries her own set of emotional complexities. She challenges Shrirenu to confront his rigid ideas about love and intimacy. Her performance blends spontaneity and subtlety, never reducing the character to a manic pixie stereotype. Instead, she grounds Madhu in reality. Fatima portrays her as a woman who knows what she wants but remains sensitive to the emotional pace of her partner.
Together, Madhavan and Fatima share genuine chemistry. Their slow-burning romance doesn’t depend on grand gestures or dramatic confrontations. Instead, it thrives in glances, silences, and conversations. Their pairing feels fresh, sincere, and deeply human.
📖 Plot and Storytelling: A Poignant Start That Loses Its Rhythm
The film opens in Jamshedpur, where Shrirenu leads a quiet life teaching Sanskrit at a local college. His world revolves around books, routine, and family expectations. On his 42nd birthday, he receives a subscription to a dating app called Aap Jaisa Koi—a gift from his progressive cousin.
He reluctantly joins and eventually meets Madhu. Their conversations begin online and slowly move into real-life encounters. The film explores their cultural differences, emotional baggage, and mutual insecurities. Shrirenu hides his inexperience with intimacy, while Madhu wrestles with her past and society’s judgment of women in relationships with older men.
The first half of the film unfolds beautifully. The characters grow with each scene, and their relationship evolves through shared vulnerability. Vivek Soni creates heartfelt moments—a dinner conversation that turns philosophical, a tram ride through Kolkata, a failed attempt at intimacy that leads to honest conversation instead of drama.
However, the second half falters. The film introduces unnecessary family drama, with predictable confrontations and long-drawn arguments. Shrirenu’s family disapproves of Madhu. The story shifts focus from internal growth to external approval. It loses the emotional intimacy it built so carefully. The pacing slows, and the message begins to feel repetitive.
Despite these shortcomings, the sincerity of the story remains intact. The film never ridicules or rushes its characters. It gives them space to feel awkward, scared, and confused—all without losing dignity.
🎥 Visual Style and Musical Touches
Cinematographer Debojeet Ray captures both Jamshedpur and Kolkata with warmth and realism. The film doesn’t showcase these cities with glamour but frames them through intimate, lived-in spaces—college corridors, small bookstores, modest apartments, and tram rides.
One of the standout scenes shows Shrirenu walking alone on a rainy evening, reflecting on a conversation with Madhu. The scene, drenched in soft lighting and a gentle score, encapsulates his emotional isolation. The music by Justin Prabhakaran and Rochak Kohli adds depth without overpowering the narrative. Their compositions enhance the emotion in each scene, especially during moments of self-realization and vulnerability.
💬 Social Commentary: Sincere but Slightly Heavy-Handed
The film deserves praise for tackling topics rarely addressed in Indian cinema. It talks about adult virginity without shame. It questions patriarchal definitions of masculinity. It portrays a woman making the first move and owning her desires. These elements feel refreshing and necessary.
However, the script sometimes turns too didactic. Instead of letting the characters speak through action and natural dialogue, the film delivers monologues that feel like lectures. Shrirenu, at one point, delivers a long explanation about redefining masculinity. While his words hold value, the delivery feels forced and breaks the immersive tone.
👥 Audience and Critical Reception
Audiences reacted warmly to the performances. Many viewers took to social media to call the film “emotionally rich,” “heartfelt,” and “a refreshing take on middle-aged love.” Fans particularly praised the chemistry between the leads. They found comfort in watching a romance that didn’t rely on youth, glamour, or toxic tropes.
Critics, however, remained divided. Some appreciated the film’s courage to spotlight overlooked demographics and real-world issues. Others criticized the predictable second half and inconsistent tone. Several reviews compared the film to older Dharma-style romances, arguing that it offered similar family resistance tropes in a different wrapping.
Despite these critiques, many agreed that Aap Jaisa Koi deserved a watch for its performances and intent.
🗞️ Notable Moments and Latest News
- The film marked Madhavan’s OTT return after a significant break. He shared that he felt excited to explore roles beyond traditional male leads.
- Madhavan and Fatima promoted the film by visiting college campuses and speaking to students about love, emotional health, and digital dating. Their candid Q&A sessions went viral online.
- In one interview, Madhavan discussed how modern masculinity struggles with mixed signals—chivalry, gender roles, and vulnerability. His reflections resonated deeply with both male and female audiences.
✅ Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- Honest, emotionally layered performances
- Sensitive treatment of taboo topics
- Beautiful visual storytelling
- Refreshing take on late-life romance
Weaknesses
- Sluggish second half
- Over-reliance on familiar family drama
- Heavy-handed messaging
- Missed opportunity for deeper character arcs
🎤 Final Verdict
Aap Jaisa Koi brings a tender, thoughtful love story to the screen. It doesn’t glamorize or trivialize middle-aged loneliness or intimacy. It gives space to characters who often get ignored in romantic narratives. R. Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh breathe life into roles that demand both courage and restraint.
Though the film struggles with pacing and tone in the second half, it delivers enough emotional resonance to leave a lasting impression. Audiences seeking grounded romance and characters with real emotional stakes will find value in Aap Jaisa Koi.
Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Sensitive, sincere, and well-performed, but weighed down by predictable storytelling.
