IANS Exclusive: Star Cast of 'Aap Jaisa Koi' Talks Love, Evolution and Filmmaking Magic

IANS INDIA

Mumbai, Maharashtra: In an exclusive conversation with IANS, the cast and crew of the upcoming romantic drama film Aap Jaisa Koi sat down with the talented trio — R. Madhavan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and director Vivek Soni. Where they talked about the heartfelt discussion on love, cinema, and everything in between. Opening up about their characters and the essence of the film, Madhavan shared that what attracted him to this story most and how honestly it portrays the modern-day idea of love. Also, Fatima Sana Shaikh, who plays the female lead, added that this film is not just about romance it is complete pack for the audience. Talking about the plot of the film, director Vivek Soni revealed how the idea for film Aap Jaisa Koi was born.  #rmadhavan #celebrityspotted #bollywoodnews

Transcript

00:01Congratulations, welcome to INS.

00:04The trailer is so amazing.

00:05I normally don't, you know, see trailer again and again.

00:09I've seen it three times.

00:10Probably because it brings memories to all the 90s kids in school and college.

00:16So, first question goes to you.

00:19How did this idea come to you and how the entire film?

00:22Have you seen it?

00:24I haven't seen it.

00:26No, I'm going to go.

00:28I haven't seen it.

00:31I have many more questions.

00:33The question goes to you about the entire idea and how it took shape.

00:38So, the idea basically came from Netflix to us.

00:41Radhika had written the story.

00:43And it was around 8-10 pages she had written.

00:47And when I read the story, I really kind of, you know, liked it.

00:50And then we started developing it with Jihan and Radhika.

00:53They both wrote the screenplay of it.

00:54And then once the screenplay was done, we approached Maddy sir.

00:57And then, you know, he liked the script.

00:59And so then we approached Fatima.

01:01They both came on board.

01:02And then from there we started developing it further.

01:04You said that the film was shot in your city, Jamshedpur.

01:11So, you got to revisit those old places.

01:14So, which special location did you visit?

01:17And what did you do with that?

01:18And what did you do with that?

01:20I got to go to the Quranic school.

01:24And in the school, I saw the insecurity of what happened in life.

01:31Because in the 8th or 9th year, we had to enjoy it.

01:34And I was scared to myself.

01:36And so, if you had to teach the result of life.

01:37That you could have to do successful.

01:38You could have to do successful in engineering, i.i.t.

01:40So, the last two years of it.

01:43It was the only time that was the sorrow that was happening in our hearts and minds.

01:49The trauma that has been passed from our mother-bombs.

01:53All of those things I remember.

01:54But then I thought you were scared.

01:57Look at what is happening in life.

02:00Did it bring back your memory of your first love, of your first crush?

02:04Yeah, yeah.

02:04See, for us.

02:05And we would like to know more about it.

02:08So, you want me to answer in English or Hindi?

02:11Whatever is comfortable.

02:13Yeah, of course.

02:13Actually, mix.

02:14At that point of time, we used to run through a guilt key.

02:18If you held a girl's hand and she become your girlfriend,

02:21that means you're getting married to her.

02:22That was the ultimate, that was the reason you had a girlfriend.

02:25You find somebody and you get married.

02:26There was never, let's try out and see how it goes.

02:29And then benching and what is the belching and whatever.

02:31Orbiting.

02:32Orbiting and.

02:35So, when we fell in love at that time,

02:39it was always the imagination itself was all long term.

02:42It was not, let's see how quickly we can get into bed and how it will be the case.

02:45It was always, you know, make records and tapes.

02:49Make sure that, you know, give them gifts.

02:51Woo them the way it is supposed to be wooed.

02:53So, all those things, although it did happen in our lives,

02:58was not connected to this film.

03:00In this one, it's about 40 plus year old guy who is not married and is looking for some sort of meaning in his life.

03:08And he finds that in the form of a beautiful woman who agrees to marry him.

03:12And how he messes it up because of his conditioning.

03:16So, that is probably the huge, large difference between how we fell in love and this.

03:22Okay, Fatima, the next question is for you.

03:23So, do you still think 30 plus girls who are not married,

03:29it's still a taboo in society that people talk about them,

03:33that why don't they get married, why don't they get married?

03:35It happens, but it happens.

03:37I think it happens.

03:38It was more prominently.

03:40Now, relationships have changed.

03:42A lot more people are okay to be alone or, you know, they are concentrating on different things.

03:52So, society which is accepting.

03:55I don't know the right thing, but I think the taboo is a little less anymore.

04:01And what is your experience with your first love that have you ever kept flower in books?

04:07A hundred percent?

04:09My first time, he took flowers from the door and took my birthday to the room.

04:15Flowers, flowers, flowers.

04:16And then cake, cake and candles.

04:19What was the problem?

04:20That it was a little time for me to come.

04:21When I reached the door, all candles were dead.

04:24So, like full pigal.

04:26So, like full pigal.

04:26Yeah, after that, we had to do our work.

04:29You know, you had to remove that.

04:30So, I have experienced that kind of love.

04:32I was very young and until I didn't come to Facebook, Instagram.

04:36So, I've faced, like experience a very special kind of a love.

04:43Your last project with Netflix was Meenakshi Sundareshwar.

04:47So, in that film also, obviously, unless and until there is some conflict in love story, it will not become a love story, real love story.

04:53So, in that film also, we saw that the girl is little, you know, she's the one who speaks everything on your face.

05:02And the boy is a little submissive.

05:04So, here on the other side, it feels like that.

05:05So, is it a pattern these days in love story, where the girls are very outspoken and boys are like subtle, they hold everything to their heart?

05:16I don't think there is a pattern.

05:19I mean, like in life also, you'll find both versions of a guy and a girl as well at times in a relationship.

05:26You know, one is a bit more outspoken.

05:28One is, you know, like people are at times introvert, people are at times extrovert.

05:32So, I guess it varies.

05:33I mean, one shouldn't generalize it that, you know, majority of the relationship go towards that way.

05:38Yeah, I mean, in films, I feel it always comes from the story.

05:43In this, if you'll watch the film, you'll understand why Madhu is Madhu because there is a reason to it.

05:48And also, there is a reason in overall scheme of things, how it changes.

05:52You'll understand when you'll see the film ki what issue Shri Renu he's having in his life.

05:56If he also meets a girl who's like him, then perhaps the story won't move ahead.

06:12So, even in Meenakshi, even in this one, I guess, for me, it's always been what the overall story is

06:18and how both of them are coming together and bringing change in each other's lives.

06:21I, since I've not seen the film, I've just seen that trailer and I've seen that line where Fatima, your character, is saying that

06:32So, do you think, this is for both of you,

06:41and if your limit is breaching his limit, is it right?

06:49Because, this is for both men and women.

06:54It's right, I mean, I'm sorry.

06:59You are saying that, why don't you learn my limit?

07:01Your limit is probably not their limit.

07:03Correct.

07:04But if it creates conflict, is it okay?

07:08No, it's okay till a point where both parties respect each other's limits.

07:13The moment, I mean, if I don't respect my limit, I don't respect my limit, it's non-negotiable.

07:21So, then, it doesn't work.

07:24It's the same question as for yourself.

07:25I'm thinking, yeah.

07:27So, because if, you know, in a relationship, if my limit is something and your limit is something, how does that?

07:34In this case, we said that we were talking about love, right?

07:39So, the limit, nobody can set that limit for another person.

07:48The freedom that I'm getting, I should be able to give that much freedom in the bare minimum of the context.

07:54But, this is also a small thing, I'm saying that you have to explore new horizons together.

08:00That's what companionship means, right?

08:03So, if we start talking about the limits of the relationship, then it's already in a bed.

08:10So, in this case, Shri Renu talks about the limits of the relationship, because that's his conditioning.

08:19And what he's doing is outside of his life.

08:24He's living in his life or in his life, he's living in an app or doing such things.

08:28So, somewhere else, he's establishing his identity and saying,

08:33I'll give it so much, but I'll keep it so much so that I can keep it.

08:38It doesn't even mean it.

08:39Which is what you get to know when you see the movie.

08:42That's what he's doing.

08:43He's doing a skip mechanism in which he's doing.

08:45Okay.

08:45So, in the film, you're playing a character from Jamshedpur, Bihar, Jharkhand.

08:50Correct.

08:50And she is playing a Bengali.

08:52This kind of story is very common in Jharkhand and Bihar area.

08:56You have a memory of these kind of stories, because I belong to the same area.

09:00So, I know these kind of love stories are very common.

09:04See, to be frank with you, our love stories were not so common.

09:09No, I'm saying that…

09:09Love stories were scandalized.

09:11Love stories were not so common in our lives, but it's not so common in our lives.

09:15Love stories were not so common in our lives, but it was very rare in our lives.

09:19So, it was very rare in our lives.

09:21I asked this question from Fatima, that keeping that flower in that book, you must have done

09:29in school.

09:30Not me.

09:32Not me.

09:33Because I have never loved it.

09:35Please.

09:36I had…

09:37No, I'm saying that we were scared.

09:39Life is ruined.

09:41If you don't get an I.I.T. in 12th, you don't get an I.I.T.

09:43Girlfriend, girlfriend, girlfriend, it's just like you're looking for someone.

09:49You're saying, bro, this is a girlfriend.

09:51Where are you going to study?

09:52That's the same thing.

09:53So, we didn't…

09:54We never had…

09:55In college, it was never that kind of a love.

09:58Because like I said in the beginning, if you're a girlfriend, you're going to be married

10:02or married, you're going to be a baby.

10:04That's what it was.

10:05So, I've never given it to anyone or anyone who gave it to me actually.

10:10When you were a teenager and now, you see…

10:12How have you seen the definition of love changing?

10:15As you age, the definition is changing.

10:18Because there are experiences.

10:20And you need to change.

10:22If you stay back, then love will not evolve.

10:26And it will not grow your growth or your relationship.

10:29Because at every age, your conflicts are different.

10:34Your goals are different.

10:36At one point, you're just experiencing love for the first time.

10:39At one point, at one point…

10:40At one point, at one point, you have to be a companion.

10:42Not only love.

10:43You have to experience a lot of things.

10:46So, that's the meaning.

10:48Madhavan said, this is a question.

10:50For you, not entirely related to movie.

10:53You have been brought up in Jamshedpur, which was Bihar at that time in Jharkhand.

10:59You are from South, Tamil Nadu.

11:02You have worked in Mumbai and you have travelled entire world and also lives in Dubai now.

11:08Have you ever experienced the kind of…

11:13I mean, whatever is…

11:14I'm not pointing towards one state or one region.

11:16But across India, whatever is happening regarding language or regional divide.

11:21Since you are the one who represents real India.

11:24So, this question is valid for you.

11:26I spoke Tamil.

11:27I spoke Hindi.

11:28And I studied in Kohlhaapur also.

11:31Marathi also I have learnt.

11:33So, I'd never have a problem.

11:35Unless I know or not, I have never any difficulty.

11:37I've never felt pain.

11:38Transcription by CastingWords

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