BOTTOM LINE
Average, Elevated by Music
PLATFORM
Netflix
RUNTIME
115 minutes
What Is the Film About?
Shri Renu, a nerdy Sanskrit teacher in Jamshedpur, is 42, unmarried and desperate for companionship. When most potential matches fall out of favour, he finds solace in an intimacy app. Out of the blue, an acquaintance of Shri’s sister-in-law comes forward with a marriage proposal that he can’t refuse. Madhu Bose is 32, a beautiful and liberated French teacher. What’s in store for the duo?
Performances
The casting is easily among the film’s major strengths and helps one overlook its flaws to a considerable extent. Both its leads – Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh – share an uncanny, appealing chemistry. Madhavan’s appearance, largely similar to his 3 Idiots avatar, perfectly aligns with Shri Renu. His dignified charm, sincerity in portraying Shri’s vulnerabilities and ease with romance are a major bonus.
Analysis
Aap Jaisa Koi tries to replicate the vibe of grounded, simple, feel-good films of Amol Palekar or a Basu Chatterjee in the 1970s. We see an old-fashioned Sanskrit teacher in his 40s, desperate for love, and an accepting, free-spirited French lecturer in her 30s in a romance about two opposites, contrasting traditions, value systems, misunderstandings and how they rise above them.
‘A nerdy boy, a cute girl and there we have a rom-com’ – is a line that the film keeps going back to. If you’re among the lucky ones to have not watched the pre-release promos of the film, chances are that you’ll appreciate it slightly better. However, for those who unfortunately have (like the writer of this review), its trajectory is so obvious, on the face, with little to relish and discover.
The larger problem is that the titles commissioned directly by the big OTTs are lookalikes these days. They’re so sanitised, as if bound by a readymade formula, easy to consume and easier to forget. Aap Jaisa Koi is mildly better than that, thanks to its leads, who bring the identities of their parts alive with wit and exuberance. It flows along easily, like a fictional fantasy removed from reality.
Provided you keep aside its desperation to look and feel like ‘comfort food’, the film’s surface-level cuteness is initially enjoyable (until it takes itself a little too seriously). A middle-aged man, never been in a relationship, still a virgin, is too restrained, textbook-like to initiate a conversation with a woman. How does such a man come face to face with his own limitations? The film boils down to that.
Right in Shri and Madhu’s very first meeting, the chemistry flows. They complete each other’s sentences, forge a bond over their commonalities and the differences don’t matter. Shri wonders if this is too good to be true. Frustrated about her bitter past experiences, Madhu finds him to be a breath of fresh air, only to realise he’s not so different from the average Indian man after all.
Borrowing a leaf out of Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani, the director Vivek Soni weaves another subplot about the families of Shri and Madhu, to offer a larger perspective of their worldviews. Shri belongs to a largely patriarchal, orthodox family while Bose’s lineage has progressive leanings, where a woman has agency and is not restricted to her domestic activities.
As the cracks in Shri’s family are out in the open, it triggers a change in him. There’s another obvious cliché in Madhu’s life – a third wheel, a man from her past willing to accept his mistakes, giving firm competition to Shri. Everything about the proceedings appears planted and syrupy – the breakups, the drama, the dialogue-baazi and the comfortable ending, sustaining its feather-light treatment.
The progressive stance and the apparent feminist bent in the storytelling are appealing, but it is carefully designed to make you feel comfortable, ensuring the man doesn’t pay a heavy price. Those who don’t mind a formulaic yet easy-watch rom-com with pleasant visuals, good music and lively performances could give Aap Jaisa Koi a try. Otherwise, it’s just an average fare with a polished exterior.
Performances by Others Actors
Fresh after her commendable performance in Metro In Dino, Fatima displays a natural flair for romances and is a delight to watch. No prizes for guessing that Ayesha Raza is the show-stealer among the supporting cast (despite the familiarities with Rocky Aur Rani), and she has formidable company in the form of Namit Das and Manish Chaudhari.
Music and Other Departments?
Justin Prabhakaran, who also worked on Vivek Soni’s Meenakshi Sundareshwar, delivers a banger of an album, with songs coming alive in imaginative situations. The background score is equally impressive. Cinematography by Debojeet Ray, within the limitations of the premise, gives a new twist to the ambience, and his choice to use bright, vibrant colours enhances the film’s visual appeal considerably. The writing choices have the old-world charm of the past, yes, but rely too much on obvious tropes to offer much scope for surprises.
Highlights?
Good performances
Excellent music
Meant for easy viewing
Drawbacks?
Designed like a product, lacks an organic flow
Superficial, convenient writing
Did I Enjoy It?
In parts
Will You Recommend It?
If you want a quick-fix rom-com for the weekend
Aap Jaisa Koi Movie Review by M9
