R Madhavan: Not the guy known for fashion sense

After 2020, 2021 again seems to be a busy year for R Madhavan. Two of his films, one each in Telugu and Tamil released directly on OTT platforms in 2020, and Maara was his latest OTT release this year.

Recently, he was in the Capital, shooting for his next web project. The actor tells us, “I was shooting an original series for two months. I was very apprehensive, 250 families are connected with this project, their livelihood is connected, I feel personally responsible. I didn’t step out of my room even once, and we finished 95 percent of the shoot. Fingers crossed on the rest of the shoot. I think as artists everybody in this particular series took so much responsibility, we never took anything for granted.”

Clearly, the web features big on his action plan. In fact, the show Breathe which he headlined was the first original web show from India, way back in 2018.

“I always knew the potential of OTT and I was definitely a pioneer who jumped into it. I think because of the Covid situation, it has become much larger than we ever expected it to be. Many platforms are cropping up, and thankfully become a great revenue earner not just for actors but everyone involved in the industry- technicians, junior artists, etc. Unfortunately categories like dancers are still not much in demand (on OTT),” says Madhavan.

The 50-year-old hasn’t been seen in a full-fledged role in Hindi films, in over five years now. What’s keeping him away? “Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, my trilingual film has consumed my entire time from Saala Khadoos till now. I did Breathe in between, and Vikram Vedha apart from that. Rocketry has been all consuming though, and I am hoping that it’s worth the wait. I can’t wait to show it to the world,” he gushes.

Madhavan, unless a project is nearing a release, is nowhere to be seen, and practically vanishes. Social media updates too aren’t frequent. He says he has never been otherwise. “I have never been the kind of guy known for my fashion sense or being in news for unqualified remarks that I make. So I prefer to be known for my work. I guess it’s served me well in terms of respect and I am happy with the positioning that it has got me,” he quips.