Having conquered the Dravidian belt, Madhavan was in Mumbai shooting for two Hindi films. Success seemed to have done him wonders. He radiated a reposeful charm that suggests his stardom was never in doubt. Rushing in and out of Mumbai and Chennai trying to cope with the rights and wrongs of success, Madhavan took time off to explain why for him, success delayed is not success denied.
Birthday boy R Madhavan in an old unpublished interview: “There’s a lot of female attention, but I come in a package deal with my wife”
What kind of offers are you getting in Mumbai?
Well, I’m doing Vashu Bhagnani’s film. We’ve discussed a couple of other projects as well. I must tell you, I quite like Vashuji for the fact that he had faith in my potential for a long time. In fact, he had selected another subject earlier with me in the lead. Since I had done a similar film already, I wasn’t too keen on doing that. I suggested another subject to him. Normally a producer would take offence to a rising star telling a seasoned producer what to make. But Vashuji surprised me by immediately agreeing to listen to what I had in mind. I narrated the subject of my Tamil film Minnale to him.
That’s the film you’re re-making with him as Rehna Hai Terre Dil Mein?
Yeah. But when I narrated it to him, the film hadn’t been released. He fell for the story hook line and sinker. Once Minnale was released in Tamil, it became a phenomenal success. Immediately, Vashuji stuck a deal with the producer. My leading lady is Diya Mirza. (Eagerly) And I have to tell you, my other co-star in Vashuji’s film is Saif Ali Khan.
Enjoyed working with him?
I can’t even begin to tell you how much so. I think Saif is a thoroughly underrated actor. Now that he’s worked on his physique he’s looking so much younger.
Are you into work-outs too?
Absolutely. Vashuji won’t have anyone overweight in his film. So I’m frantically pumping iron.
But in the South they like a little lard on their laadlas?
No more so. That’s changing there too. Mani Ratnam says he needs me to be slim and trim for his next film. Actually, I was always slim, if not trim. Then I became complacent and put on weight. Now I’ve become very body conscious.
What’s the other Hindi film that you’re doing?
I have another offer from Mr Vivek Vaswani. Do you remember Anant Mahadevan who directed me in the serial Ghar Jamai? He’s the director. I know exactly how well he can direct me. I’m happy that I’ve now come to a situation where I can work with the people I want to. Anantji and I would talk about doing a film together even when we doing a serial. So, in a way we’re both moving from television to cinema together, the way Aziz Mirza and Shah Rukh did. Anant Mahadevan’s film is going to be a musical. Come hell or high water, I’ll only do one film at a time. The reason actors don’t follow this organized method of working is, they feel their time will get wasted if a film gets delayed.
What do you do when that one that you’re doing gets stalled?
In my case, it never does. With the tightly worked-out dates that I give my producers, my producers-directors are paranoid about finishing their films. Can you believe it I’ve completed five films in one year, with the sixth—Vashuji’s Hindi film—racing ahead?
What do you think this film will do to your career in Mumbai?
All I want is the producer to make money. Beyond that, I’m thoroughly enjoying doing this film. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I tend to withdraw from a film the minute it’s complete. Would you believe, I haven’t even seen my latest Tamil release Dum Dum Dum? I don’t know what it is. Perhaps it’s a defence mechanism. Or perhaps something more practical—having done my best for it I want to leave my film behind. The only fall out of every film is I increase my rate each time.
What’s your going rate now?
Ha ha ha. Can’t tell you. No, it’s not higher in the South than in Mumbai. In fact, it’s the same. I’m being paid quite well by South standards for my next three Tamil films with Mani Ratnam (where I co-star with a Telugu actress called Bhumika), Mani Ratnam’s assistant and K. Balachander. My starting salary in Hindi is what others would get after 2 or 3 successful films. I can tell you the sum off the record. I think I’ve made a quantum leap.
Your third Tamil film Minnale is also a big hit. How have the contemporary South Indian stars reacted to your sudden infiltration in their ilaaka?
Shall I be honest? They’re very encouraging. After seeing me in Minnale, one of the top guys down there Vijay called to say my film was phenomenal and that I had given an amazing performance. He even called up the director to say Minnale looks like a Hollywood film. Sense any rivalry in that?
What about your wife? Is she insecure about your fan following?
Insecurities are bound to be there if a woman is married to a celebrity. Perhaps, it’s more pronounced if your spouse is good looking and part of show business. I’m trying my best to quash Sarita’s insecurities. We do everything together. She attends every function with me. When I go on an outdoor, she accompanies me. When I go abroad to shoot, it’s the producer knows she’s going to come along. When I open my e-mail, she’s right there behind me. She’s privy to everything I do. And I like it that way. There isn’t a thing in the world that I wouldn’t want to do with my wife.
What about the ladies falling all over you?
What about them? When my wife is with me all the time, where can they fall? I make sure my wife knows my heroines. The minute I sign a film, I introduce the leading lady to her. Invariably, they become the best of friends. My co-stars Jyotika, Simran and Shalini are my wife’s close friends. Not only am I more comfortable with my co-stars when my wife is around, even my leading ladies prefer having me around with my wife. At the end of the day, it becomes very difficult for an actress to do an intimate scene with her co-star if his wife is sitting on the sets being a bitch about it. Having my wife as a professional ally completely eliminates all tensions on the sets. So far it’s been smooth sailing.
So no caught-with-pants-down situation so far?
Never. I admit there’s a lot of female attention. But to all of them, I come in a package deal with my wife. As for my co-stars, thankfully they’re an educated lot.
What’s the basic instinct got to do with being educated?
It counts. It helps to keep the situation on a civilized level. An educated woman would shy away from making a pass. To her, being turned down is tantamount to an insult. She takes the hint immediately and knows I’m forbidden territory.
Are there no hints of scandal about you in the Tamil press?
Luckily, my reputation in Chennai is as clean as in Mumbai. You knew me when I was in the television industry. I had a fan following then and I did work with some very beautiful women on television.
Do you look down on television now?
Are you kidding? I just came back to Mumbai and made a guest appearance in my long running serial Saaya. Now I’m done with that. For quite a while now I won’t be able to do television. With my film assignments, I’ll never be able to do justice to television. At the back of my mind, I’m always going to be thinking, ‘Oh God, if I did one more film I can buy that new car or apartment.’ Ultimately though, television is a mecca for all actors. I know I’ll have to go back to it. It’s inevitable. And you know what? I’m looking forward to it.
But you’re singularly positioned as the only North-South hero of Indian cinema
Right. You’ve got my USP.
Also Read: Saif Ali Khan speaks on skipping work during his kids’ holidays: “That time is sacred”
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