E-Paper
Shah Rukh of the South
R Madhavan is no longer hounded by the media — or so he says. And yet, he’s in the news for his role in 3 Idiots and being on MTV Roadies, Purva Mehra explores.
Madhavan leaps to his feet at the cue of resounding applause and excuses himself to peek into the cinema hall.
The interview began 15 minutes ago but all the while the actor has had one ear trained on any hint of response from the audience in the midst of a paid preview of 3 Idiots at a suburban theatre.
As the applause fades, Madhavan, dressed in bermudas, a casual tee and floaters, rejoins the conversation, more self-assured. “It’s a story I’ve always wanted to tell,” he says, referring to 3 Idiots, “A child can’t be judged by report cards alone. When I heard the story the connection was absolute.”
It must be a big deal for the 39-year-old to be directed by a filmmaker like Rajkumar Hirani and co-star with Aamir Khan, once again after Rang De Basanti (RDB). If it is, Madhavan doesn’t let the enthusiasm or pride slip through his humility. “After RDB, Sharman (Joshi, his co-star in RDB and 3 Idiots) and I were talking about how difficult it would be to beat this film, which became part of cinema history. And then 3 Idiots happened,” says Madhavan.
Madhavan Ranganthan aka R Madhavan aka Maddy considers himself lucky since he never intended acting professionally even if he had a latent desire to be a star. In the tradition of actors before him, Madhavan first debuted on television, acted in serials such as Banegi Apni Baat, Sea Hawks and Ghar Jamai. The Tamil actor then made his big screen debut with the Kannada film, Shanti Shanti Shanti. “None of my career moves were intended. I just thought of acting as a stop-gap arrangement to make money. It was never a perceived ambition,” he says.
He has now been in the industry for 10 years and is 37 films old. Acting is clearly not a “stop-gap arrangement” for him. He has had a dream run in the South, earning him the moniker of the Shah Rukh Khan, and alternately, the Hrithik Roshan of the Tamil film industry. “The strange part of being an actor is that you have various ‘this is it’ moments. When Mani Ratnam first cast me in Alai Payuthey (the Tamil original of the Bollywood film Saathiya), I thought that was it, that I wouldn’t do anything noteworthy after that. Then I was cast by K Balachander and then by Kamal Hassan, in Anbe Sivam, a film in which we were both leads. These are archival moments,” Madhavan admits.
Bollywood’s been kind too. He cites Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein, Guru, Dil Vil Pyar Vyar, Mumbai Meri Jaan, Rang De Basanti and 13B as his big moments and counts himself lucky. “I’ve never had an ambition to be number one. I don’t want to fight that battle. It’s strange that people speculate about my struggle in Tamil or Indian cinema. Training to be an NCC cadet is a struggle; being an actor is not.”
The admitted lack of ambition is perhaps why Madhavan hasn’t essayed the lead in too many Hindi films, a place he admits he’d like to find himself in. “I enjoy spearheading a project. It’s a luxury and privilege I’ve had in Tamil films. They clearly are my bread and butter. But when exciting team projects like RDB, Guru or 3 Idiots come along, one can’t pass them up,” explains Madhavan.
Outside films, Madhavan is a husband and a father, roles that merit his full attention when not on set. “I’ve lived in Mumbai for 10 years and been through the debauchery. I’m now at a point when I get home and kick back. And I’m not hounded by the media so I get a lot of time with my family,” he says.
Coming up next is Leena Yadav’s Teen Patti, starring Amitabh Bachchan, a project he is upbeat about.
Though he is largely content with the fruits of his labour, Madhavan harbours a hope to essay more dynamic roles in Hindi cinema: “My roles have been quite subtle so far. I’ve done some wild-ass and nasty roles in Tamil films and it would be nice to explore the same in Bollywood.”
