R Madhavan Opens Up About 2 Most Horrifying Incidents In Life: ‘First Day of Shoot...'

R Madhavan, known for his versatility and impactful performances, has been a prominent figure in Indian cinema for over 25 years.

R Madhavan will be seen in HIsaab Barabar on Zee5.

Source : Instagram

R Madhavan, known for his versatility and impactful performances, has been a prominent figure in Indian cinema for over 25 years. With a successful career spanning Tamil and Hindi films, he has seamlessly adapted to the evolving entertainment landscape, embracing the OTT medium in addition to theatrical releases.

In recent years, Madhavan has delivered noteworthy performances in films like Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022) and Shaitaan (2024), as well as streaming projects such as Breathe, The Railway Men (2023), and his latest offering, Hisaab Barabar.

In an interview with SCREEN, Madhavan shared his thoughts on working in the digital medium, the pressure of theatrical releases, and his approach to selecting projects.

Madhavan on opportunities on OTT platforms

Reflecting on the opportunities streaming platforms provide, Madhavan highlighted the creative freedom they offer actors. “OTT gives better character-driven stories because we have to compensate for the lack of the big screen. If you are putting your content out on OTT, then justify that to me. I have been very fortunate that all the work that I’ve done on OTT hit a chord. Some things also require the eight episodes to tell the story,” he said.

Explaining the importance of matching the story to the right medium, he added, “For example, Hisaab Barabar has the content and character but not the grandeur to be on the large screen, so I can’t justify it. Hence, the medium in which the story is selected and is going to be presented is really important for me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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When asked about the perceived freedom of OTT due to the lack of box office pressure, Madhavan candidly responded, “Thank God for that. I get nervous by the hour when I am closer to a release. In fact, the two most horrifying moments for me in my career are when I have to do the first day of shoot—it is getting progressively difficult—and second, the first day of publicity and release, because everybody looks at you, and I feel everyone is saying, ‘Nuhuh, you have lost it, that’s it, game over.’”

On completing 25 years in industry

Sharing his gratitude for a career spanning more than two decades, Madhavan noted, “It’s not easy to survive for 25 years in an industry like this, where people become obsolete in 25 months. And to be able to do main leads, I am very grateful for that. It’s the words of encouragement from people that keep me going; otherwise, I would have been a lost soul by now.”

Madhavan also spoke about his method of choosing projects, saying, “It’s always the subject and the intent behind making the film that makes me pick it. Sometimes, you get films that are nicely set up with the right actors, team, and price. But that doesn’t excite me. I try and do things that really excite me so that the days I spend making that film are rewarding. If you look at the last ten projects of mine, they are all content-driven stories of common men and the courage that a common man takes to become a real-life hero. And I have always been a fan of the silent strength of a common man. Those films have really done well for me.”

Madhavan's work front

Up next, Madhavan will be seen in Hisaab Barabar, where he plays an honest ticket checker for Indian Railways who uncovers a massive financial fraud by banker Mickey Mehta (played by Neil Nitin Mukesh). Directed by Ashwani Dhir, the film also stars Kirti Kulhari and is set to premiere on Zee 5 on January 24.