R. Madhavan Returns to Romance in Netflix’s Aap Jaisa Koi

R. Madhavan is back. But not in the “boy-next-door-sings-in-the-rain” kind of way. In Aap Jaisa Koi, he’s bringing back the charm — now with salt in his hair, a Sanskrit textbook in hand, and a little more life behind the eyes. This one’s not about first crushes. It’s about first real love, happening a little later in life, with all the baggage, bruises, and beautiful awkwardness that comes with it.

Streaming exclusively on Netflix from July 11, this soft-glow romantic drama stars Fatima Sana Shaikh opposite Madhavan, and it already feels like something that might break your heart and heal it in under two hours. The story? A quiet Sanskrit teacher (Madhavan) crosses emotional wires with a bold French instructor (Fatima). It’s a vibe shift from most Bollywood romances — fewer violins, more vulnerability.

Meet Shrirenu and Madhu — a Love Story Without the Usual Script

Madhavan plays Shrirenu, a man of few words and even fewer emojis — the kind of character who probably quotes Kalidasa, not couple goals. But life throws him a curveball in the form of Madhu, a vibrant, emotionally literate French teacher who’s fluent in both language and life. Fatima, who has mostly played women on the edge of convention (Dangal, Thar), gets a role here that lets her be tender and electric.

According to NDTV, this love story isn’t trying to sell fairytale fantasies — it’s leaning into emotional messiness. The kind where love doesn’t arrive with violins and montages, but with long pauses, unexpected laughter, and maybe a little existential dread.

Directed by the Guy Behind Meenakshi Sundareshwar — So Expect Feelings

Helming the film is Vivek Soni, who last gave us Meenakshi Sundareshwar, a film that made long-distance marriage look quietly revolutionary. This time, he’s working under Dharmatic Entertainment — the OTT arm of Karan Johar’s empire — with Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra co-producing.

Yes, it’s the same Dharmatic that gave us glossier-than-thou dating shows and chaotic Gen-Z dramas. But this project? It’s moodier. Grown-up. Less about “soulmates” and more about emotional survival. In their own words, the film celebrates “barabari wala pyaar” — love that shows up on equal footing, across ages, with a level playing field emotionally and intellectually.

The Madhavan of It All

Let’s talk about this comeback. Because for a certain generation — the ones who cried during Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein and stayed for Tanu Weds Manu — R. Madhavan is the guy. The kind of romantic lead who doesn’t peacock his way into your heart but shows up with a dimple and a disarming gaze.

Now in Aap Jaisa Koi, he’s very much not playing a 25-year-old chasing after love in low-waist jeans. As he told Filmfare, this role was about doing romance justice at the age he actually is. No soft-focus de-aging. No trying to relive 2001. Just a middle-aged man figuring out how to be vulnerable again.

“I didn’t want to play a hero,” he said. “I wanted to play someone falling in love for real — for the first time.”

Fatima’s Got Range, And This Role Might Show It

While Madhavan’s character is all inward reflection and hesitant affection, Fatima Sana Shaikh’s Madhu is the spark. Not just a manic pixie to his sad professor — she’s a woman with her own interior world, rhythms, and reasons.

Per India Today, the film gives her enough emotional space to move between comedy and quiet heartbreak. And it helps that Fatima has a knack for delivering emotional depth with a side of deadpan sass. If this clicks, it might just be her most nuanced performance since Dangal.

So, What’s the Buzz?

According to Koimoi, this one’s pitched as a “modern romantic-drama that redefines the norm.” Honestly, it might. With its focus on emotional growth, age-appropriate casting, and a softer storytelling tone, Aap Jaisa Koi feels like part of a small but growing wave of Indian romances that are done with the fairy tale — and more interested in the real thing.

Think The Lunchbox meets Once meets, well, a Dharmatic-produced Netflix film.

Save the Date

Aap Jaisa Koi lands on Netflix on July 11. It might not have the song-and-dance of a Karan Johar classic, but it could just have the kind of storytelling that makes you text someone you haven’t spoken to in years — not to rekindle, but just to say, “Hey. I saw this movie. And I think you’d understand.”

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