R Madhavan has responded to the criticism surrounding his recent films and his views on representing India on screen. The actor, who featured in Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’ franchise and directed ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’, said he does not understand why expressing pride in Indian identity or showcasing the country’s positive aspects should automatically invite accusations of propaganda.
R Madhavan explains his approach to politics and public opinion
Madhavan said his views have largely been shaped by what he was taught while growing up, particularly the importance of the country and contributing positively to it. He also stressed that he has never aligned himself publicly with any particular political party or leader.“Everybody is a product of their conditioning. From a young age, I was taught that our country is the most important to us, as well as what we do for it. If you look at my social media posts or interviews, you can see that I have never spoken ill of any political party, politician, or political leader. If someone does something good, like Stalin sir (former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin), for instance, I praise them immediately,” he said during a conversation with Galatta Plus.The actor explained that he prefers to speak when he genuinely believes something deserves appreciation, while staying away from subjects about which he is uncertain.“I have decided that I will do only good, and if I have doubts about something, I won’t talk about it. When an elected politician becomes a Prime Minister or a Chief Minister, I believe it is my duty to support them. To date, no party — be it Tamil Nadu or at the national level – has approached me asking me to promote them, or inviting me to join them.”
Why criticism on social media does not influence R Madhavan
Madhavan also spoke about reactions to his social media posts and said he does not allow online criticism to dictate what he chooses to express. According to him, people may react out of frustration, but that does not mean he should stop acknowledging achievements that make him proud of the country.“If something good is happening in our country… For instance, if I post about a sportsperson who is performing well and bringing the nation fame, that’s because I feel that’s the right thing to do. If someone’s making me feel bad about that, then I will question their intent,” he said.
R Madhavan challenges the propaganda tag
The discussion also turned towards ‘Dhurandhar’, which received both praise and criticism despite its commercial success. Some sections of the audience described the Ranveer Singh-led spy thriller and its sequel, ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, as propaganda.Madhavan pointed out that he had encountered a similar debate after making ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’. The film, based on aerospace scientist Nambi Narayanan’s life, was criticised by some for presenting a strongly Indian perspective.Responding to the idea that a film can be “overly Indian”, Madhavan questioned the premise itself.“I don’t understand how being an Indian can be seen as a wrong thing.”He further explained why he does not consider portraying Indian culture or identity in a film to be inherently political.“What does it mean by ‘being overly Indian’? I don’t know. Is it not okay to show myself as being ‘too Indian’? I don’t know. That’s not my conditioning; I showed that. This is not even a political statement. Dhurandhar was based in Pakistan. Good and bad things happen there as well, just as much as they do in India. So, I don’t understand what the ‘propaganda’ in it is,” he said.
Staying faithful to Nambi Narayanan’s story
Madhavan also defended the choices he made while portraying Nambi Narayanan in ‘Rocketry’. He argued that depicting aspects of a person’s life accurately should not be interpreted as the filmmaker endorsing a particular ideology.“In Nambi sir’s (aerospace scientist Nambi Narayanan) case, I only showed what happened in his life. How can I be honest with the story if I am afraid to show who he really is? He is a person who goes to the temple. GD Naidu (inventor and engineer), on the other hand, is a nastik (atheist). So, we can’t show such things (him going to temples) in the movie. I have to be true to that character.”Madhavan added that an actor’s portrayal of a character should not automatically be confused with his personal beliefs.“Because of that, one can’t say that I don’t believe in god or vice versa. I am an actor, and my job is to portray things as they are. My personal opinion is that I want to enhance all the good things about India. That cannot be a crime.”
His method of identifying online trolls
Madhavan also shared how he assesses whether criticism coming his way online is genuine. Rather than focusing only on the content of a comment, he said he checks the account behind it.“Look at their comment first, and then find out when they created their account, and how many followers they have. Through these steps, one can easily figure out if it’s a bot or a paid account.”Madhavan was most recently seen in ‘GDN’, directed by Krishnakumar Ramakumar. The film is based on the life of inventor and engineer GD Naidu, with Madhavan playing the titular role. Sathyaraj, Jayaram, Priyamani and Dushara Vijayan also feature in key roles.