R Madhavan recalls taking 4-year break from acting as he was ‘disillusioned’ with work: ‘I was dancing to others' tune'

R Madhavan discussed his four-year break from acting due to dissatisfaction with his work. He sought new perspectives and collaborations after returning.

Bollywood actor R Madhavan is all set to entertain audiences with his upcoming film, Dhurandhar: The Revenge. In a recent conversation on Unfiltered Entertainment’s YouTube talk show, Madhavan opened up about taking a four-year break before Saala Khadoos in 2016 because he was unhappy with the work he was doing. After his hiatus, he went on to choose very different characters from earlier.

R Madhavan on taking a four-year break from films. (PTI)

R Madhavan on his four-year break

R Madhavan explained what led him to take a sabbatical. He revealed that he took a break because he was ‘disillusioned with work’. He recalled how, while shooting in Switzerland for a Tamil song, he once noticed a Swiss farmer looking at him with complete disdain, sipping a cup of tea and seemingly wondering what they were doing.

He added, "I was really offended, but then it struck me suddenly. I am literally dancing to other people’s tunes. I am a public speaker, I know how to handle a gun, fly remote planes, ride horses, I do so many things. I am showing none of it in my movies. The only thing I was trying to do was to woo the audience, which will make me a superstar. I realised the mistake I was doing.”

Madhavan recalled how it was his wife who noticed his unhappiness with work. He said, "One day, my wife asked me, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ She said that you are going for work like you want to come back from it. That actually made a lot of sense. So, I took a break. I wanted to understand where the country was going. I even stopped doing ad films, grew a beard, travelled a lot around Chennai and other places in India. I talked to rickshaw guys, what really matters to them, what’s the real cost of stuff that bothers them. That insight for four years is probably what I’m eating off right now.”

The actor revealed that after his break, he realised the directors he was working with were not as forward-thinking as him, and he therefore began searching for new collaborators. Madhavan returned to the screen in 2016 and went on to deliver critically acclaimed performances and hits such as Vikram Vedha, Shaitaan, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, Kesari Chapter 2 and Dhurandhar.

R Madhavan in Dhurandhar: The Revenge

Helmed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar: The Revenge is the sequel to the 2025 blockbuster Dhurandhar. The film will see Madhavan reprising his role as Ajay Sanyal, Director of the IB (based on Ajit Doval), alongside Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal and Sanjay Dutt in key roles. The film is scheduled to clash with Yash’s Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-ups on March 19 and will release in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam, unlike the first film, which released only in Hindi.