Suggested Topics :
25 Years Of 'Alaipayuthey': Madhavan Reflects On His Tamil Film Debut, And What His Definition of 'Heroism' Is Today
Actor-filmmaker R. Madhavan recalls entering Tamil cinema with Mani Ratnam’s ‘Alaipayuthey’ 25 years ago, and how all his choices since then have led him to his latest offering, the satirical thriller ‘Hisaab Barabar’
The much-hyped re-release of Hrithik Roshan’s Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (2000) earlier this month — to mark 25 years of the film’s release — led both fans and Bollywood folk alike to reminisce fondly on what was a debut for the ages, as Roshan himself walked down memory lane.
However, in 2000, another film debut occurred, creating something of a frenzy in Tamil Nadu, especially amongst the youth; both the actor and the film would go on to redefine how romantic leads were characterised in Kollywood, and how love stories were written and made for the next two-and-half decades.
25 years ago, Ranganathan Madhavan was cast alongside Shalini in Mani Ratnam’s Alaipayuthey, and the rest, as they say, is history. Released on the occasion of Tamil New Year on April 14, the drama that followed the life of a young couple in Chennai who fall in love, elope and then deal with the turbulence of being married and living away from their families, marked something of a cultural moment in Tamil cinema.
Though Madhavan was already a known face on Hindi television, his Tamil feature film debut with Alaipayuthey (helped in no small measure by A.R. Rahman’s now-legendary score) catapulted him to overnight stardom across south India, and heralded the birth of a new romantic hero; hits like Minnale and Dumm Dumm Dumm would follow right after.
Read More | Madhavan On Cheering On His Friend Ajith Kumar In Dubai
“I will shamelessly and emphatically agree with you that it definitely was a debut to remember,” Madhavan laughs, during a chat with The Hollywood Reporter India, when asked if he recalls the hysteria around him when Alaipayuthey released. “The reason I agree with you is that longevity is the only proof of talent and success. So to have survived 25 years and still be able to do main lead roles, I feel very privileged and honoured thanks to the public, including Tamil and Hindi audiences.”
“Right now, you will notice that in today's world, people get a little bit of success in their films, and their image is instantly that of a superstar, and maybe rightfully so. That's what you need to survive in today's world. You put your front foot forward and make sure you're seen as a star and accepted as one. Still, one can do all the marketing and PR to make sure they're in the limelight, but unless they have the talent to support it… it doesn't last long,” he muses.
Going back to 2000, Madhvan recalls how he missed capitalising on his post-Alaipayuthey success, because of one very important reason: he did not know how to read Tamil.
Also Read | How Theatrical Re-releases of Old Films Are Granting Them New Lease of Life
“I'm very ashamed to say it,” he sighs. “I had no idea what people or the markets were saying about me, because I couldn't read anything that was written about me! Some friends used to keep me informed, but I didn't understand the tonality of what was being said. I didn’t behave like a star at all when I made public appearances, my hair was all over the place, I was wearing normal clothes... it is only now, over a period of time, that I’ve realised that I was such an idiot and didn’t capitalise on that fame.”
While boys across Tamil Nadu were practising their best renditions of “Shakthi, naan unna virumbala, un maela aasai padala, nee azhaga irukkenu nenaikkala…” and girls were plastering Madhavan photos onto their bedroom walls, the actor says that he had no clue that there were even posters of his being sold.
“I had no idea. I just thought that Mani sir had given this middle-class boy a huge break, and that the entire credit for Alaipayuthey’s success should go to him and Shalini, as they were the stars. So, believe it or not, I did not carry the shield of success of either of those films — Alaipayuthey or Minnale — on myself, because I didn't even know it existed,” he grins.
Since then, Madhavan has done everything from rom-coms and family dramas, to political thrillers and actioners, to horror-mysteries and biopics. But at no point have we seen him go down the all guns blazing, ultra-violent, bloody action hero route; was this a conscious decision despite the fact that it is a popular choice that many of his contemporaries have taken over the years?
“That’s a very keen observation, and I'm excited that you've made that. You know, I've always looked at people like my father — the common man — and realised that there is a hero being born everyday in the streets simply because of the grit and ability of the common man to fight the challenges that nobody can see or talk about,” he answers.
“It's one thing to do a bombastic way of fighting for social causes and what you believe in. But take for instance, a sportsman that comes from a small town and wins a medal for India in the Olympics; he's a hero. More than him, his father and mothers are heroes. A small kid from the streets reading under the lamps becomes an IAS officer; he’s a hero. Our former president, Abdul Kalam.. what a hero he was!”
In his latest film, the satirical thriller Hisaab Barabar on ZEE5, Madhavan plays a railway ticket checker who somehow uncovers a massive financial fraud by a high-profile banker, and sets out to fight the issue. The role seems tailor-made for the actor, who is now in his 50s, and has a very different definition of what “heroism” means to him these days.
“I am never taking away from the fact that being physically empowered and taking up a violent act to save somebody — or standing up for something — takes a lot of guts. But that’s not the only form of heroism,” Madhavan says, adding, “Over a period of time, I was also able to look around the corner and see the kind of place that India and Indians were heading towards. At one point of time, the Rambos and Terminators made sense. Now it's the drones. I was able to see that the drone culture is coming, and that AI is coming. I know that the perception of heroism will change very quickly. Violence will not be the only answer, although having said that, you have films like Pushpa and so on that are doing such amazing business at the box-office. But then, I’m made of a different mettle than those actors.”
“My background is different. If I have to do a physically violent film, then I will do something like Irudhi Suttru or Thambi. But my ability to enamour people with my ability to dance or my six-pack is very limited, so I prefer going the cerebral way and making sure that my audiences always hold me at a bar higher than themselves. It is slightly aspirational, but it is so that I can continue telling my stories and they can come see it; that has been the only endeavour for the past 15 years or so.”
With six releases coming up over the next two years, Madhavan remains a prolific leading man in cinema, as he flirts between streaming and theatrical projects equally, with more success than many of his peers.
“As an actor, I make sure that I know a few things for sure. What is the purpose behind which this project is being made? Has it been driven by a passion to tell the story by the producer and director? Has it been put together properly so that the income is more than the outgoing?
And finally, what is the fire burning in the belly of the storyteller?” says the actor, when asked how he picks his projects.
“I want to completely surrender to the filmmaker. I have had the privilege of working with the likes of Mani Ratnam, Rajkumar Hirani, Mr. Bachchan and Kamal sir who are legends of the industry, right? Because of that, I seem to have an aura due to which directors are almost afraid of me.”
He remarks, “I don't know why I have that reputation on the set, but I seem to instil some sort of fear in people… which is not good for me. I want to be there as a student; I really want to see the fire in the belly of the storyteller, so that they will supersede all my expectations. Those are the directors I've ended up working with, even when they were initially newcomers… like Gautham Menon, Aanand L. Rai, Vikram Kumar or Sudha Kongara. All of these people eventually went on to become great storytellers.”
Madhavan explains that today when he selects a story, the first thing that needs to be ticked is understanding which medium it has to be released in. “The content might be great, but the visuals might not necessarily require a 70 mm screen. Or maybe the visuals are great, but does the film hold such intrigue for the audience that once they see the trailer, they drag themselves to the theaters on the first day? Because we are learning that films becoming hits posthumously is of no benefit to anybody; it has to work in the first week.”
“Take The Railway Men or Breathe; it was important to put that content out as a series because the story and character-building deserved the long format. I’d have walked away from the projects otherwise. Similarly, Shaitaan couldn’t have been made into a show. Just like that, Hisaab Barabar may not possess the visual grandeur to have a theatrical release, but it has enough potential and storytelling for it to engage people on streaming; it is the right platform for a subject in this genre,” he signs off.