4 min readChennaiFeb 1, 2026 11:49 AM IST
R Madhavan has had a long-standing working relationship with Mani Ratnam. He’s starred in the filmmaker’s Alai Payuthey (2000), Dumm Dumm Dumm (2001), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Aayutha Ezhuthu (2004), and Guru (2007). Interestingly, Madhavan was initially offered the role of Arjun Balakrishnan in Aayutha Ezhuthu, which was later played by Siddharth in the Tamil adaptation of Mani Ratnam’s 2004 Bollywood political action drama Yuva.
Talking about Aayutha Ezhuthu on The Filmy Hustle podcast, Madhavan said,”I was very keen to do it, but I didn’t want to do Siddharth’s role. That’s the role he had in mind for me. Again, a lover boy who meets Trisha and everything. When I heard the story, I told him I should play Inbasekar. He asked me why. I said because he’s got the best lines in the film. We’ve forgotten everything else. He said, ‘Shut up!’ He was very offended.”
Ratnam told him he’d already locked an actor for the part, and was supposed to start the film in two months. Madhavan asked him to give him a month to think it over. “I shaved off my head. I played golf without sunscreen, and became really, really tanned. I built up my muscles, and became literally unrecognizable,” added Madhavan.
Madhavan then went back to Mani Ratnam, who had gotten security then because of the threats he received after his 1992 Tamil romantic thriller Roja. Even the security couldn’t recognize Madhavan in his new “crazy” look. “He was really upset that somebody comes in at lunchtime unannounced. So, he came out, looked at me, and said, ‘Yes?’ I couldn’t handle the situation and started smiling. He said, ‘Maddy?’”
Ratnam then kept looking at Madhavan, before the actor asked him, “Do I look the part?” Ratnam agreed and gave him the brief for Imbasekar. “He’s a tough guy. He’s had a bad childhood. He’s an animal,” said the director. But Madhavan couldn’t figure out how he’s an animal. So, he went back home and watched National Geographic to prepare for his screen test in two days.
“I saw a pack of lions chasing down a deer. There’s a fear for life in the deer’s eyes. He’s running for it left, right, and centre. Eventually, one of the lions pounces on him, chokes him, tears him apart, and has his meat. But during the entire attack, there’s no anger on the lion’s face. It’s the most violent act, but for the lion, it’s like another day, having lunch. There’s no wrath or excitement for the kill. He had absolute peace in his eyes while choking the deer. There was a lot of blood, but he just had it as lunch, like we go to restaurants. And that’s the moment I figured out that’s what Mani sir wants. Even though Imba was a hard, natural-born killer, there’s no anger. When he’s killing, he’s just doing his job. He just does it like washing his hands,” explained Madhavan.
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Aayutha Ezhuthu also starred Suriya, whose role was essayed by Ajay Devgn in the Hindi version. Abhishek Bachchan played Madhavan’s part in Yuva, whereas Vivek Oberoi took on Siddharth’s role. Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor also acted in the film, whereas Esha Deol was the only one who starred in both the versions.
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