Fatima Sana Shaikh defines ‘barabari wala pyaar'; R Madhavan says respect can sometimes feel like offence: ‘I once called a girl pretty young thing'

Indian Express

6 hours ago

At the trailer launch of Aap Jaisa Koi, actress Fatima Sana Shaikh was asked to define the concept of 'barabari wala pyaar', a term featured prominently in the film's trailer. Her response received enthusiastic applause from the audience. 'That kind of love where people will respect each other, will value each other's opinions and won't dismiss them outrightly. '
Joining her, co-star R. Madhavan reflected on the complexities of respect and perception in relationships. He said that often, we believe we are being respectful, but in reality, we may be unintentionally offending someone. He recounted a personal anecdote: 'Mere saath hua tha ki ek baar jab galti se maine kisi speech mein ek ladki ko PYT, Pretty Young Thing bol diya and I didn't mean to objectify and it was something that was meant as a compliment jab hum school mein thayy. Par woh maine baad mein realize ki yeh and objectification hogaya hai. Toh woh joh barabari hai woh koi samajh nahi paaya hai. Aur wohii hum iss film mein baat kar rahe hai (It happened to me once that, by mistake, during a speech I referred to a girl as PYT, Pretty Young Thing. I didn't mean to objectify her; it was something we used as a compliment back in school. But later I realized that it actually came across as objectification. That sense of equality, I don't think people truly understand it. And that's exactly what we're talking about in this film).
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Madhavan also opened up about working with Fatima, calling it one of the best experiences of his career. He echoed the sentiment expressed by his character in the trailer, who likens her to Madhubala, saying he wholeheartedly agreed with the comparison. Namit Das, who plays Madhavan's best friend in the film, chimed in on modern expressions of love. 'In 2025, the crisis in love is that as men we have the language but don't know how to really express it. And there is a beautiful line in the film that loneliness is the biggest disease one is suffering. And we all are battling this loneliness through either finding true love or friendship.' Ayesha Raza, also part of the ensemble cast, used the occasion to speak about her personal life, specifically her progressive relationship with husband and actor Kumud Mishra. She shared how their bond has evolved despite their differing backgrounds.
Filmmaker Vivek Soni, known for Meenakshi Sundareshwar, shared his vision for Aap Jaisa Koi. He explained that he aimed to blend old-school romance with contemporary themes, steering clear of preachiness while addressing patriarchy subtly. His approach drew praise from the cast. Fatima called him 'the next big thing,' while Madhavan appreciated the filmmaking environment he fostered. 'Very rarely you get to work on a film where you just have to be an actor, and show up on set and just focus on acting rather than focus on peripherals or extras,' he said.
Aap Jaisa Koi is written by Radhika Anand and Jehan Handa, and is set to release on Netflix on 11th July.