Saagar Kote
Netflix’s romantic drama film ‘Aap Jaisa Koi’ follows Shrirenu Tripathi, a middle-aged Sanskrit teacher in Jamshedpur who hasn’t found love or intimacy in his life. When he shockingly gets a marriage proposal from a French teacher named Madhu Bose from Kolkata, he finds himself torn between traditional patriarchal values and the complexities of love. The movie deals with themes of romance, intimacy, social values, and liberation of the mind. As the ending of the narrative approaches, Shrirenu and Madhu find themselves in a difficult situation which forces them to make a tough decision. The clash of the two radically different individuals threatens to tear down their love and their relationships with their families. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Aap Jaisa Koi Plot Synopsis
The film opens with the introduction of Shrirenu Tripathi, a 42-year-old virgin man who works as a Sanskrit teacher in Jamshedpur. He lives with his roommate and best friend, Deepak, in a house owned by his brother Bhanu. He is the target of his students’ jokes, who taunt him for remaining an unmarried man who cannot impress women. Worried about his friend’s eternal virginity, Deepak introduces him to a sex-chatting app called “Aap Jaisa Koi.” It allows people to talk anonymously and share their sexual fantasies or engage in sexual conversations.
On the app, he connects with a mysterious woman who seems to like his style of talking and moans his name loudly, calling him “Shri.” The usage of the app makes his life more exciting all of a sudden. A man named Joy, Bhanu’s neighbor, brings a wedding proposal to Shrirenu by communicating with Kusum, Bhanu’s wife and Shrirenu’s sister-in-law. Shrirenu goes to Kolkata to meet the 32-year-old prospective bride named Madhu Bose, a French teacher at the Institute of Art and Languages. Due to their radically different personalities and their shockingly similar tastes in tea, they bond instantly. She indicates that she would even shift to Jamshedpur if they got married.
After returning to Jamshedpur, Shrirenu and Deepak assume that Madhu made it too easy for him to accept the proposal and decide to find out about her reality. Shrirenu’s student, Rakesh, pretends to be Madhu’s student and visits the Bose family house in Kolkata, which is home to her joint family, including her grandmother, called Didi Ma. Rakesh learns about a boy from Madhu’s past named Namit Agrawal. Madhu tells Shrirenu that she dated Namit 5 years back, but broke up due to his chauvinistic behavior.
The two lead characters grow closer to each other and begin to fall in love, bonding over their liking for Kishore Kumar and Madhubala. Bhanu is a deeply patriarchal man who wants his daughter Nisha to learn how to cook instead of pursuing her career. He also shows disinterest in the happiness and ambitions of his wife Kusum, who wants to run her own pickle delivery business. As Madhu and Shrirenu grow closer, they get engaged. During the engagement ceremony, Madhu mockingly moans Shrirenu’s name, calling him “Shri,” revealing that she was the woman who had a sex chat with him on the app many days back.
Due to his conservative values, Shrirenu is disgusted by the fact that his fiancée uses a sex-chatting app, and this leads to him breaking up with her and ending the engagement. Hurt by his regressive thinking and rude words, Madhu returns to Kolkata. Nisha, Shrirenu’s niece, and her mother, Kusum, plan to travel to Kolkata for Nisha’s work-related plans, and they convince him to come with them, giving him a second chance at pursuing Madhu.
Why Does Madhu Forgive Shrirenu?
Shrirenu travels to Kolkata with Nisha and Kusum to pursue his love for Madhu again. Nisha makes him realize that the harsh treatment of his fiancée was wrong and that Madhu accepts him for who he is. The protagonist follows Madhu in Kolkata, and then tells her that he forgives her and will allow her to be free if they get married, to which Madhu replies by slamming his patriarchal thinking and making him understand that he will never accept her as an equal human being. When it is discovered that Kusum has fallen in love with Joy, it angers Bhanu, who rages at her for cheating on him. Madhu starts to reconsider her opinions on Shrirenu when he boldly stands against his brother Bhanu to support his beloved sister-in-law.
Shrirenu realizes the depth of his patriarchal thinking when he sees similarities between his treatment of Madhu and Bhanu’s treatment of Kusum. When Didi Ma, Madhu’s grandmother, falls ill, Shrirenu organizes a Saraswati Puja ritual for her, in case she doesn’t have the chance to see it again. This change in the protagonist’s behavior starts to slowly rekindle Madhu’s love for him. In one of the most pivotal scenes in the film, after the immersion of the Saraswati idol in the Hooghly river, Shrirenu delivers a heartfelt apology to Madhu, both drenched in rain. He says that she was right to label him a chauvinist, as he used to be regressive, and that he’s still a virgin at the age of 42.
Furthermore, he tells her that his virginity made him insecure in their relationship, and he hid the truth from her. He tells her that his conservative and patriarchal upbringing caused him to behave rudely with her, despite his being an educated man. He also talks about the fact that most men in the country are brought up with similar values. Madhu is overwhelmed with emotions when Shrirenu continues to apologize and promises to treat her as his equal partner in their relationship and love her dearly. Due to this radical change in Shrirenu’s thinking and personality, Madhu forgives him.
Will Shrirenu and Madhu Get Married?
The potential marriage between Shrirenu and Madhu is the emotional heart of the film. Both the leads experience the tremendous complexities of love throughout the runtime. After Madhu accepts Shrirenu’s apology, he desperately searches for the ring he had taken back from her after their initial breakup. When he doesn’t find the ring, Madhu playfully places her hair clip on his shirt and tells him that they are engaged again. Looking at the reunited couple, the Bose family, along with Deepak, express their happiness. Though it is not shown in the film, it can be strongly presumed that Shrirenu and Madhu will get married. Madhu’s acceptance of his apology is the biggest hint that points towards the potential wedding.
As the two have resolved their differences and understood the depth of their relationship, there’s no possibility that they will let it go again. Shrirenu’s changed thinking and personality also mean that he will be a more responsible and loving man, who will step away from the prison of patriarchy and truly love Madhu for who she is. It’s not likely that their relationship will go downhill from this point, as they have sorted out all their major issues. Shrirenu’s willingness to accept criticism also means that despite future misunderstandings, they will find a way to sort out their differences and stay together.
Another possibility that seems less likely is that Shrirenu will somehow get back to his regressive ways and treat Madhu like Bhanu treats Kusum. However, this possibility doesn’t seem likely, as Shrirenu’s love for Madhu will not allow him to go down that path again. Their mutual love for things like music and languages also means that they will have a more meaningful intellectual connection that goes beyond marriage or sex. The strongest part of their relationship is that they don’t have secrets anymore, leading to more trust and stability. This makes the idea of marriage the most likely scenario.
Will Kusum and Joy Get Married?
A love story that brings an unexpected twist to the tale is that of Joy and Kusum. Kusum is unhappy in her married life with Bhanu, who treats her harshly and keeps ridiculing her simplicity. His patriarchal thinking and attitude deny her sexual satisfaction and happiness in general. He even shows disinterest in supporting her ambitions to run a small pickle business. In contrast to Bhanu, Joy offers her more respect, care, and a sense of belonging. He even appreciates her talent for making great pickles. When Joy and Kusum are spotted together by Bhanu and the rest of the family, their secret becomes known.
Despite Bhanu’s anger and threats, Kusum boldly stands by her decision to love Joy, and also talks about how he is a better man than her husband. Kusum realizes that she genuinely loves Joy and indicates to Bhanu that she wants to end their long marriage of 28 years. This decision of hers is also supported by Shrirenu. It can be presumed that Kusum and Joy will get married in the future, especially due to how truthful and sweet their relationship is. They might complement each other wonderfully and be there for each other in tough times. Joy also tells Bhanu that he will never apologize for falling in love with Kusum.
Their honesty and understanding will bring them closer, and most likely end in marriage. However, there is another possibility that they will not get married. Due to the stage of life they are in, Kusum and Joy may not feel the need to define their relationship with marriage. They have a deep understanding of each other’s thoughts and might feel comfortable and content just staying together and not falling into socially acceptable labels like marriage. A wedding might make their relationship official, but it doesn’t define their love. So it’s definitely possible that they will stay away from becoming husband and wife and continue to live together as trusting and loving partners.
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