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Aap Jaisa Koi review: R Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh shine in a bold yet talkative rom-com

Netflix’s Aap Jaisa Koi is a well-intentioned feminist rom-com that stars R Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh. Though conceptually strong, the film falters due to its didactic execution.

Published

10 months ago

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Aap Jaisa Koi, streaming on Netflix and produced under Dharmatic Entertainment, attempts to dive deep into the nuanced themes of female sexual desire, autonomy, and modern relationships. Directed by Vivek Soni, the film brings together R Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh in a romantic comedy that defies conventional Bollywood norms—but not without its share of narrative excess.

A modern mismatch wrapped in old dilemmas

Set between Jamshedpur and Kolkata, the story introduces us to Shrirenu Tripathi (R Madhavan), a 42-year-old introverted Sanskrit teacher, and Madhu Bose (Fatima Sana Shaikh), a confident 32-year-old French teacher. Despite their contrasting personalities—he’s a reserved virgin, she’s an assertive, sexually liberated woman—their worlds collide in a tea-flavored twist of destiny and shared longing.

While on paper the pairing feels like an unconventional rom-com setup, the film smartly explores themes like mutual respect, emotional equality, and the cultural baggage women carry even in modern India. Madhu’s character is refreshingly bold, representing the voice of today’s independent woman unafraid to assert her identity, ambitions, or desires. Her response to Shrirenu’s patronizing comment—”And why will you decide my limits?”—hits the core of the film’s feminist messaging.

A heavy hand in delivering the right message

The heart of Aap Jaisa Koi is in the right place. Its plea for equal love, freedom of choice for women, and breaking away from gendered expectations is both relevant and necessary. However, much like certain previous titles from the same production house, the film stumbles due to its overly verbose and didactic tone.

The narrative feels cluttered at times, as it tries to tick off multiple themes—patriarchy, consent, political awareness, sexuality—all while keeping up the tempo of a romantic comedy. This occasionally leads to dialogues that sound more like lectures than conversations, which might test the patience of viewers looking for a light-hearted watch.

Performances and cultural throwbacks add charm

What helps Aap Jaisa Koi stay engaging are its performances and cleverly placed cultural references. R Madhavan delivers a sincere portrayal of a man coming to terms with his outdated beliefs, while Fatima Sana Shaikh impresses with her grounded and fearless depiction of a modern woman.

There are plenty of hat-tips—from the film’s title being inspired by Nazia Hassan’s iconic track, to shout-outs to Stree, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s avocados, and even R Madhavan’s real-life Jamshedpur roots. The music by Justin Prabhakaran, especially tracks like Mila Tujhe and Saare Jag Mein, composed with Raj Shekhar’s lyrics, add emotional depth to the screenplay.

Aap Jaisa Koi tries to reinvent the romantic comedy for the contemporary Indian audience with a feminist lens. It asks important questions and offers a genuine attempt to reshape the narrative around love and gender. But in doing so, it sometimes forgets that showing is stronger than telling.

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Dhurandhar 2 bags massive OTT deal, likely to stream on JioHotstar after IPL 2026

Dhurandhar 2 lands a Rs 155 crore OTT deal with JioHotstar and may release after IPL 2026.

Published

2 weeks ago

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April 20, 2026

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Dhurandhar

The upcoming Bollywood film Dhurandhar 2 has reportedly secured a significant OTT deal, underlining its strong market buzz ahead of release. According to media reports, the film’s digital streaming rights have been acquired by JioHotstar for approximately Rs 155 crore.

The makers are expected to follow a strategic release plan, with the film likely to premiere on the platform after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. JioHotstar also holds digital streaming rights for the tournament, and the post-IPL window is seen as an effort to retain audience engagement.

Reports suggest that the film could arrive on OTT in late May or early June 2026, depending on its theatrical release schedule and run. However, there is no official confirmation yet regarding the exact streaming date.

Industry observers note that the reported deal highlights the growing demand for big-ticket Hindi films among streaming platforms, especially those expected to draw strong audience interest.

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Ramayana teaser unveiled as Ranbir Kapoor appears as Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s epic film

The teaser of Ramayana has been released, showing Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama. The film will release in two parts in 2026 and 2027.

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1 month ago

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April 2, 2026

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Ramayana Teaser

The teaser of Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming film Ramayana has been released, offering the first glimpse of Ranbir Kapoor in the role of Lord Rama. The film, which is planned as a two-part cinematic project, is scheduled for a Diwali release later this year.

The teaser shows several key moments, including scenes from the coronation and the exile period in the forest of Panchavati. Ranbir Kapoor appears in the role of Rama with a calm and composed presence. The teaser also briefly shows Yash in the role of Ravan towards the end.

Ahead of the teaser launch, Alia Bhatt shared a video message on social media asking audiences to support the project and Ranbir Kapoor’s work on the film. In the video, she said the “Rama unit” video would be released and encouraged audiences to watch and support the film.

Budget and scale

Producer Namit Malhotra said the film has been in development for six to seven years and is being made on a large scale. According to him, the total budget for both parts is around $500 million, which is over Rs 4,000 crore combined.

He said the film is being made for a global audience and aims to present the epic on a large cinematic scale while remaining efficient in production.

Music collaboration

The film’s music is being composed through a collaboration between AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer. Rahman said working on a project based on such an iconic epic is challenging, as the team wants to present something new while respecting the importance of the story.

Release plan and cast

The film will be released in two parts. The first part is scheduled for a worldwide release in October 2026 ahead of Diwali, while the second part is planned for release during Diwali 2027.

Apart from Ranbir Kapoor, the film also stars Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey and Yash in important roles.

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Dhurandhar 2 box office collection day 7 crosses Rs 600 crore in India

Dhurandhar 2 continues its strong box office run, crossing Rs 600 crore in India and Rs 1000 crore worldwide within its first week.

Published

1 month ago

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March 26, 2026

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Dhurandhar 2 review

Ranveer Singh’s film Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge has crossed the Rs 600 crore mark at the India box office within seven days of its release, according to trade estimates. The film has maintained a strong run in both mass centres and urban markets during its first week.

As per trade figures, the film’s India net box office collection stands at around Rs 623 crore after seven days, while the gross domestic collection is estimated to be over Rs 740 crore. The film has also performed strongly in overseas markets, taking its international collection to more than Rs 250 crore. With this, the worldwide box office total has crossed Rs 1,000 crore within the first week of release, as per trade estimates.

Day-wise performance in India

The film opened strongly on March 19 with box office collections of over Rs 100 crore. The film continued to perform well over the next few days, collecting around Rs 80 crore on Day 2 and over Rs 110 crore on Day 3. Collections remained strong over the weekend, followed by an expected drop on weekdays. By Day 7, the film collected around Rs 47 crore, taking the total India net collection past Rs 600 crore.

Overseas performance and comparison

The film has also reported strong performance in overseas markets, particularly in the UK and other key international territories. With the worldwide collection crossing Rs 1,000 crore in the first week, the film is being compared to the fast global box office pace seen by Pushpa 2: The Rule in terms of early box office momentum, according to trade observers.

About the film

Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge is the sequel to the 2025 film Dhurandhar. The sequel features Ranveer Singh along with Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan and Sanjay Dutt in key roles.

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