R. Madhavan

Some Lesser Known Facts About R. Madhavan

• Does Madhavan drink alcohol?: Yes ^[1]Deccan Chronicle

• Madhavan was born into a Tamil Family and was raised in Bihar as his father used to work as a management executive in Tata Steel.

• As a child, Madhavan wanted to join defence services.

• During his college days, he joined NCC and actively participated in the extra-curricular military training.

  

• In 1988, he won a scholarship from his college to represent India in Stettler, Alberta, Canada as a cultural ambassador.

  

• When Madhavan was 22 years old, he was recognised as one of the best NCC cadets in Maharashtra and won a trip to England.

• He received training with the British Army, the Royal Navy, and the Royal Air Force. However, he got rejected for the program as he had crossed the age limit.

  

• In 1992, he represented India at the Young Businessmen Conference in Tokyo, Japan.

• After college, he used to teach communication and public speaking at workshops in Mumbai. At one such workshop in Maharashtra, he met Sarita Birje, an air hostess, who later became his wife in 1999.

• He started modelling in 1996, and his first assignment was a commercial for a talcum powder brand, for which he was paid around 100 INR.
  

• Though he made his Bollywood debut with the film Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001), the first movie he did was Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin (1996) in a small role as a singer in a club.

• He also made small appearances in TV serials such as Yule Love Stories, Banegi Apni Baat, Ghar Jamai etc. 

• Madhavan has featured in many popular Tamil Films like “Alaipayuthey,” “Minnale,” “Dumm Dumm Dumm,” “Run,” and “Aayutha Ezhuthu.”

• He has also played some important roles in Bollywood films like “Rang De Basanti,” “Guru,” and “3 Idiots.”

• In 2011, he played the lead role in the romantic-comedy “Tanu Weds Manu” opposite Kangana Ranaut.

• He has worked as an anchor in the TV show “Tol Mol Ke Bol.”

• Madhavan’s son, Vedaant, is a national level swimmer. He has won 3 gold medals and one silver medal at the Junior Nationals Swim Meet.

  

• He is a vegetarian and endorses PETA. In July 2006, Madhavan received the title of ‘cutest male vegetarian’ by PETA’s online poll.

  

• Madhavan loves to do trekking and has climbed Mount Cook in New Zealand.
  

• He has acted in films of 7 different languages.

• His wife, Sarita, has worked as a dress designer in many of his films.

• In 2003, the director, Sanjay Dayma, asked Madhavan to play the lead in his film “Vivaah.” Reportedly, Hrithik Roshan was also cast for the lead role in the film but the film was never made.

• Madhavan is one of the top 3 actors with the maximum number of entries in the list of top-rated 10 Indian films with Anbe Sivam and Vikram Vedha. The other two actors with the most films on that list are Aamir Khan and Kamal Haasan.

• Madhavan was the first choice for Jimmy Shergill‘s role in the film “My Name Is Khan” but he rejected the role owing to his busy shooting schedule for the film ‘3 Idiots.’

• Initially, Govinda was offered to play the lead in Shyam Benegal‘s shelved film “Ganga” but the role later went to Madhavan.

• In 2016, Madhavan was signed as the goodwill ambassador of Lepra India to promote action against leprosy.

• In 2017, Madhavan became part of the annual India Conference at Harvard University. He even delivered a speech there.

  

• In addition to a talented actor, Madhavan is also an active philanthropist. He has supported the Chennai-based charity, The Banyan. The actor has appeared in many charity musicals and has even appeared as a guest cook. As a cook, he made dosas and helped raise forty-five thousand rupees for charity in Chennai.

  

• In 2007, he, along with Amitabh Bachchan, and Mani Ratnam, played golf for a celebrity charity event.

• Madhavan also has 2 video game characters based on him, namely, Madhavan’s MIG and Madhavan.

  

• In 2019, Madhavan’s son, Vedaant, is a professional swimmer who represented India at the Asian Age Games and won a silver medal in the Swimming Championship.
  

  

  In July 2022, Vedaant broke the National Junior Record for the 1500 m freestyle at the Junior National Aquatics. ^[2]The Indian Express

• R. Madhavan was appointed as the President of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, on 1 September 2023; he also became the chairman of its governing council. ^[3]India Today

• In March 2024, he revealed in an interview that he obtained a captain’s license during the Covid-19 pandemic and bought a yacht that is parked in Dubai. According to Madhavan, the yacht has brought him closer to nirvana, and he often goes on solitary sailing trips in Dubai on his yacht. He said,
  

  It is a place for me to write. I take it out to the sea and I park overnight, I look at the dolphins fly around as I write my stories, it is the best purchase of my life. It is parked in Dubai. It has brought me a lot closer to nirvana.”