The Curious Case Of R Madhavan

From being ‘that cute boy’ of Indian television in the’90s to charming the Bollywood audience, while finding a superstardom in the Tamil film industry, and also now being the first A-list actor to make an OTT debut, R Madhavan is an actor like no other

- Ananya Ghosh

It's been 25 years since this then-shy guy with a cute smile sang his way into the hearts of the Indian audience with Chup Tum Raho in /s Raat Ki Subah Nahi. Ask him how that young man making his Bollywood debut with a brief appearance in a song would feel about the star he has become today, and Madhavan quips: “If you consider television as well, it's 26 years (laughs).

That shy guy would look at me with complete awe, because I didn't expect to become an actor. I wasn't trained to be one and I didn't study to be one. I was just doing what was coming my way, and doing it for fun. People started calling me a good actor, and I started getting jobs with bigger directors. Suddenly, a lot of iconic projects had my name on them. So, I think I couldn't have charted this, it is divine intervention, and I am very grateful for it but I think I still have my best to give, he says, as we sit down for this interview.