For Fatima, the film stood out because it explores how conditioning affects relationships, especially those shaped by patriarchy. “We’re not looking at obvious villains here,” she explained.
Image Source: Instagram
In a world that’s more connected than ever before, the feeling of loneliness still creeps in quietly, often catching people off guard. That’s the central theme of ‘Aap Jaisa Koi’, an upcoming romantic drama featuring R Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh.
Scheduled to release on Netflix on July 11, the film is directed by Vivek Soni and is being described as a tender yet thought-provoking take on emotional companionship.
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R Madhavan plays Shrirenu Tripathi, a reserved Sanskrit teacher from a conservative family in Jamshedpur. His life has been shaped by discipline, restraint, and a deeply patriarchal value system. Into his quiet, structured world walks Madhu, a French instructor played by Fatima Sana Shaikh. She is everything he is not; bold, independent, and emotionally transparent.
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For Madhavan, the film is more than just a love story. In a recent conversation with ANI, he explained that ‘Aap Jaisa Koi’ tackles the very real problem of loneliness. He said that despite being surrounded by people or active on social media, many people feel isolated at the end of the day.
“You can be in a crowd and still feel like nobody really knows you. At night, when you’re alone, the question lingers, do my loved ones truly understand or like me? This film speaks directly to that aching emptiness. And we’re saying, if someone like you comes into our lives, maybe that emptiness starts to heal.”
Fatima Sana Shaikh, who’s been part of ensemble casts in ‘Dangal’, ‘Ludo’, and ‘Modern Love Mumbai’, recalled how the film found her. Director Vivek Soni first narrated the story briefly, and then sent over the script.
“The writing was so delicate and beautiful. The story talks about a man and a woman who love each other, but not in the usual romantic drama way. Their conflicts are subtle and complex. It felt very real. And of course, getting the chance to work with Maddy was a dream, I wasn’t going to pass that up.”
For Fatima, the film stood out because it explores how conditioning affects relationships, especially those shaped by patriarchy. “We’re not looking at obvious villains here,” she explained. “Shrirenu isn’t a bad guy. He’s loving and caring. But the way he has learned to love is not equal. He doesn’t realise it, but there’s an imbalance. We wanted to show that even good men can have internalised ways of thinking that aren’t fair. It’s about recognizing those patterns, not attacking them. This film, I hope, will help men understand that women today aren’t trying to dominate. We’re just asking for something very simple, equality.”
Madhavan too found the role refreshing because it was age-appropriate and honest. “I’m not pretending to be 22 here,” he laughed. “I’m playing a man in his 40s, falling in love for the first time. And you know what? Love doesn’t come with age instructions. Even at 40, when you fall in love, you act like a teenager. You fumble, you overthink, you get excited. That’s what I wanted to show.”
What resonated with Madhavan was the message that despite the growing emotional distances between people, there’s still hope. “You’ll see in the film that yes, life is complicated, people are complicated. But that doesn’t mean love is lost. There are still honest, warm connections out there. You just have to be brave enough to open yourself to them.”
The trailer, which was recently shared by Madhavan on Instagram, captures the chemistry between the lead pair and gives a glimpse into their emotional journey.
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