Greetings!
It's been a long time since I have watched such an interesting love movie that's full of intrigue, anxiety and comedy like the one I just finished watching. A Bollywood indian movie titled Aap Jaisa koi which can be translated into (someone like you).
The movie as directed by Vivek Soni and produced by Karan Johar's Dharmatic entertainment is such an interesting movie that starred the likes of R.Madhavan, as Shrirenu Trapathi a teacher who happened to be a virgin in a corrupt society in his forties. He's also a reserved person who is not so confident about himself most especially when it comes to his love life.
Also, we have another character in the person of Fatima Sana Shaikh as Madhu Bose, who unlike Shri was sexually active and not as reserved as Shri.
Furthermore in the movie, we have other characters such as, Bhanu Tripathi, who happened to be Shri conservative elder brother, we also have Kusum Tripathi, Bhanu's wife, Deepak is another character in the movie who acted as Shri best friend, we also have the like of Joy Bose, Namit, Shona, Rakesh and Madhu's grandmother. All these aforementioned characters in this paragraph are minor characters, but they too acted very and it would be so difficult to characterize them as minor characters due to their influences in the movie.
PLOT
The movie, like I said earlier, is interesting and intriguing. The movie was centered on two major characters, Shri and Madhu. Both of them were of opposite character most especially in behaviour, but before they met via a love app, Shri, an adult , was a virgin and a reserved person without any love experience.
In fact, he was constantly mocked by people, most especially one of his students Rakesh.
But even at that, he would not punish Rakesh, rather, he would joke and play with him always. But on a particular day, his friend, Deepak introduced him to a love app and on the love app, he met with a lady that made him feel needed in life when it comes to being loved.
After that, fate brought him and the lady together, but both of them didn't know that they had spoken to each other on the love app, it's later that they got to know and this almost ruined their love life, but after the storm that almost ruined their love life, they found their feet yet again and their love life was reignited.
THEME AND ANALYSIS
The central theme of the movie is LOVE. Although we have other sub themes, such as inferiority complex, trust, ego, lack of respect and so on. But the main and central theme of the movie is LOVE.
Moving on from that, I would like to analyze the movie in my own little way.
The first thing that endeared me to the movie is the character of Shri. I was only wondering how a man of his age would still remain a virgin, but even at that, it's a great moral lesson to be learned in the movie. This taught that, there's still who would not defile themselves no matter how corrupt the society is.
Another thing that I love so much in the movie is the reserved nature of the main character, Shri. His reserved nature put him in a respectable position. Though, he was not so confident about his own ability and self, but notwithstanding, his personality through his reserved nature speaks volume of the kind of person he's. No wonder he got angry when he realized that his fiancee, Madhu had been lying to him about her presence on the love app.
That shows he's a decent man.
Although, he was also a victim of what he was accusing Madhu for, but even at that, he's a good man.
In addition, his honesty is one thing that I love about him. This can be seen in the way he exposed and said everything about himself without any lies in it. When he first met with Madhu at the restaurant, he told her everything about his status. Maybe this was done not to raise the hope of the young lady, but even at that, he made sure he came out clean without any skeleton in his cupboard unlike today when guys would lie to the one they love so as to impress her. He really did well in that aspect.
And as for the lady, Madhu, she was the direct opposite to the character of Shri, she was not that reserved and she was not also a virgin. Though she's loving, keeping things from her to be husband was one of her weaknesses in the movie and this would have cost her relationship if not for fate and love.
Another thing I love about the two characters is their skills in playing musical instruments. Both of them have the skill and this really even made them to be exceptional and compatible. Learning a skill is very important and I'm also looking forward to playing one or two musical instruments as I love music so much.
I would not also forget the roles of Deepak and his students, both of them played a very important role in finding out whom the lady, Madhu was, though, they didn't get the accurate information about her personality, but they tried and what this reminds me is about my Yoruba culture that is always focused on trying to know more about the family and character of their to be wife or husband. That's a good thing to see in the movie and I loved it so much.
Still on the character of Deepak, though he was a good friend, he was the one that led Shri into many of his mistakes. He was the one that told him about the love app and at some point, he insisted on Shri not reconciling with Madhu, but thanks to Madhu's sister who advised him to do the needful. There's friends like Deepak, and what one needs to deal with them is just wisdom. Also, a sister like that of Shri sister will always be needed when in trouble, thanks to her for putting her reserved and inexperienced brother through.
Furthermore, I would not forget the family ties that existed in the patriarchal family lifestyle of the Tripathi family line and the Matriarchal family style in the Madhu family line.
This family lifestyle made the movie more rich in culture, but one thing I don't like in the family ties is the way Bhanu would not respect his wife, he would always insult her without any remorse.
Though he said he was just joking with her, one thing a man needs to know is that you must know whom you marry and must know what she likes and likes not and this should be vice versa.
This family issue later led to divorce which is not so good for the movie where it was at the center of everything even though there's an instance of mistrust, but love always supersedes at the end, but not in this case.
As interesting as the movie is, there were times there was no subtitle in the movie, this got me disconnected in those cases but overall, the movie is an interesting one with good and clear pictures and good music which help to make it flow and interesting.
Also, in the movie, there's a series of flashbacks and imaginations which are good and normal, but I think it's too much as it wastes more time in the movie.
RATING
I would rate the movie 7/10.
Thanks for reading.
Poster picture sourced.
All other images are from the movie's screenshots.