3 min readHyderabadAug 5, 2026 06:54 PM IST
Actor R Madhavan has said he is aware that the kind of romantic lead he played in films like Alaipayuthey is behind him, but has pushed back against the idea that age should close the door on romance in cinema altogether.
“I’m not going to play the lead like Alaipayuthey, I know that. But there’s no reason for me to think I can’t play equally impactful romantic or relationship roles,” Madhavan said. He added that he has always been conscious about doing age-appropriate romance and has never slipped into playing roles that do not suit his age. “Just because you’re 55 doesn’t mean there’s no romance. Absolutely not,” he said.
The comment comes at a time when Madhavan is returning to screen with GDN, his upcoming biopic on GD Naidu directed by Krishnakumar Ramakumar, which features a relationship track alongside its larger narrative about the legendary inventor. The actor said that after a long gap, getting to play romance again felt exciting rather than unfamiliar. “After a long time, I finally got a chance to do a romance scene. I’d love to do it,” he said.
Alaipayuthey, directed by Mani Ratnam and released in 2000, was the film that turned Madhavan into a household name. His portrayal of Karthik, a young man navigating love and marriage with Shalini’s Shakthi, remains one of the most iconic romantic performances in Tamil cinema history. The film’s music by A.R. Rahman, particularly the songs Snehithane and Pachai Nirame, became generational anthems. The film was later remade in Hindi as Saathiya in 2002.
Also Read: 2-hour audiobook, studied 16mm footage: How Madhavan prepped to play GD Naidu in biopic
In the 25 years since Alaipayuthey, Madhavan has played romantic leads in films like Minnale, Dum Dum Dum, Sillunu Oru Kaadhal and Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein, but has increasingly moved towards performance-driven roles, most notably in Irudhi Suttru, Vikram Vedha and Rocketry: The Nambi Effect.
In the same conversation, Madhavan also revealed a personal rule he has maintained throughout his career regarding the portrayal of violence against women on screen. He said he has never allowed a woman to be slapped in any of his films, with one early exception.
Story continues below this ad
“There is only one movie I distinctively remember slapping a woman because the director felt like it was important for the scene. But after that, I’ve never seen or allowed a woman to be slapped in a film,” Madhavan said. “And I believe there’s a society that lives by that kind of principle. Within that, there’s so much we can do. There are plenty of things. I think there’s more than enough scope and plenty more to explore.”
GDN, directed by Krishnakumar Ramakumar and co-written with Madhavan, chronicles the life of GD Naidu, often called the Edison of India. The film also stars Sathyaraj, Jayaram, Priyamani, Dushara Vijayan, Aditi Balan, Vinay Rai, Karunakaran and Thambi Ramaiah. The movie releases in theatres on August 7.
Leave a Reply