After Kesari 2, R Madhavan joins Karan Johar for a mature love story that breaks stereotypes: 'I cringe pretending to be younger'

Time of India

07-05-2025

After delivering a powerful performance in Kesari Chapter 2 : The Untold Story Of Jallianwala Bagh, R Madhavan is all set to return to the silver screen in Karan Johar 's upcoming romantic drama Aap Jaisa Koi. The film marks his second collaboration with the celebrated filmmaker and has already stirred excitement with its teaser—particularly because it brings Madhavan back to a genre he hasn't explored in a while: romance.The film, which also stars Fatima Sana Shaikh , revolves around an unconventional love story between a Sanskrit professor and a French professor. What makes it even more intriguing is its fresh take on age-appropriate love—an element that Madhavan believes is central to the film's narrative.In an interview with News18, the Rocketry actor opened up about why he chose to be part of the project. Madhavan shared that Aap Jaisa Koi stood out to him because of its honest approach to casting based on age. He explained that he plays a 48-year-old man who finds himself in a relationship with a 28-year-old woman. The film, he said, delves into whether such a relationship is viable or justifiable, and that complexity is what drew him in.Madhavan admitted he's reached a point in his career where pretending to be younger on screen no longer feels comfortable. In fact, he said the idea of romancing someone decades younger while pretending to be the same age makes him 'cringe.' What convinced him to take up this role was the fact that the character embraces his real age. He stressed that he didn't want to make the story unbelievable or uncomfortable—not for the audience and not for himself.Referencing the recent example of Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, where Ajay Devgn and Tabu were praised for their mature and realistic romantic pairing, Madhavan pointed out how age-appropriate storytelling is finally getting its due.He also observed how even Hollywood has become increasingly conscious about casting choices when it comes to age gaps in romantic roles. According to him, audiences no longer accept a 50-year-old man behaving like a teenager, and neither should actors attempt to pull off such roles. Madhavan joked about how ridiculous it would be for him to play a college student at 54, exclaiming in disbelief, 'Are you kidding me?'He looked back on his experience filming 3 Idiots, where he was 40 and playing a college student. He confessed it made him extremely nervous, wondering if the audience would buy into it at all. But a surprising moment of relief came during the shoot itself—Madhavan recalled how he and his co-stars Aamir Khan and Sharman Joshi looked younger than some of the actual college students on set. He laughed as he remembered questioning whether the greying, balding guys around them were professors or students, only to be reassured that they were, indeed, students. That surprising visual, he said, gave the trio a strange boost of confidence.Currently, Madhavan is shooting for De De Pyaar De 2 , in which he plays Rakul Preet Singh's father—another move that signals his comfort in owning his age on screen. And if Aap Jaisa Koi is any indication, he's doing it with both charm and authenticity.