R. Madhavan shares his secret to 'stay relevant' for 25 years

Seasoned actor R. Madhavan reveals his secret for staying relevant in the competitive film industry for over 25 years, without having any cliched qualities like six-pack abs or great dancing skills.

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Whether the quintessential boy-next-door in his breakthrough Tamil-language film ‘Minnale’, and its Hindi remake ‘Rehnaa Hai Tere Dil Mein’, or his latest web film ‘Hisaab Barabar’ – one thing that has remained through his illustrious career spanning 25 years, is R. Madhavan’s choice and portrayal of a common man and a relatable protagonist.

In a new interview, the ‘3 Idiots’ star spilt that one unique trick which has helped him stay relevant through his characters all these years.

“The reason I have been able to manage to be relevant after 25 years without having the cliched superhero qualities of six-pack abs and the ability to dance is because I can portray the most difficult generation in the history of the world correctly,” said the 54-year-old, with some of the most memorable performances to his credit.

“Indians of my generation from around the world are products of middle-class upbringing. They rule the world in almost every aspect, whether IT, politics, or business,” he explained. “We have had the privilege to watch the world transform at a much faster rate than any previous generation and the challenge to adapt to it. We went from STD booths to pagers to smartphones in our lifetime. We have had to fight to stay relevant.”

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“There are very few actors to represent the empowered common man of this generation. The common man is no longer ‘bechaara‘, and I have been observing how to play that,” he revealed.

“I have learnt how to maintain relevance. If you don’t do films for four years, people will forget you because there is so much competition. But, if you have carved a niche for yourself, you survive,” concluded Madhavan, who had merely five Bollywood releases in the past decade.