R Madhavan on choosing meaningful and bold roles over fame, staying grounded, and playing a 48-year-old lead in Aap Jaisa Koi
R Madhavan
Actors are often asked, “How do you know the pulse of the people?” While few have an answer to this, R Madhavan was refreshingly candid in his take on it. “By being alone with the people,” he tells us. With more than three decades in the entertainment industry, the actor has figured out how to make his complex on-screen characters relatable and true to the context. To ensure that he interacts with people from all walks of life, Madhavan doesn’t let his entourage tag along everywhere.
(From left) Fatima Sana Shaikh and R Madhavan in Aap Jaisa Koi
“I walk around as alone as possible. It keeps me in touch with common people. I want to know the price of lentils and potatoes from the local vegetable vendor. I want to sit with the tech geeks and learn about the next version of the AI. If I’m behaving like a star in front of them, those doors get closed quickly,” he explains. He reveals that he learnt about black magic for Shaitaan (2024) and understood Indian aerospace scientist Nambi Narayanan for Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022) after a conversation with someone he met on a flight. “I never fear a good risk. Even if it goes wrong, at least you went down blazing. I’d rather go for glorious failure than compromised success any day.”
Despite his many years in the film industry, Madhavan has been selective with his work. He claims he would rather be remembered for a few good films than burden himself with repetitive roles. “Early on in my career, when I heard people say that if it is an Aamir [Khan] film, the content is bound to be good — that’s something I was dying to have people say about my work. And I have tried to make those choices,” expresses the star.
He shares that 3 Idiots (2009) has reformed the thought process of an entire generation of parents, not just in India. “They come and tell me how it has changed their life,” he says, adding, “I try to not get stereotyped. The only sequel I’ve ever done is Tanu Weds Manu [2011] because the script was so justifiable. I haven’t had the luxury of doing a franchise film where I’m able to repeat the same characters because they worked. I would have loved to. So easy to just sit back and do five films like that till they fail and then do something else.”
No more romances for Maddy!
After decades of doing romcoms, R Madhavan is now avoiding the genre because “nothing is age-appropriate”. While most romcoms these days are associated with teenagers, he believes that people between the ages of 45 and 55 are more romantic. He has wrapped up Aap Jaisa Koi, where he plays a 48-year-old unmarried man romancing Fatima Sana Shaikh’s 29-year-old character. When asked about the gossip surrounding a Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein sequel, he says, “They ask me too. I haven’t found anything concrete to either do Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein 2 or Tanu Weds Manu 3. It’s all speculation.” He also has De De Pyaar De 2, Dhurandhar, a Tamil sci-fi film Bridge and a Tamil series titled Legacy.
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