R Madhavan is considered one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema with films like ‘Alaipayuthey’, ‘Rehna Hai Terre Dil Mein’ and more recently ‘The Rocketery’ and ‘Dhurandhar’.
But unlike many stars whose rise is defined by years of rejection and struggle, his journey has been shaped by unwavering self-belief and the courage to dream big. Long before movies became a part of his life, the actor had already written down his biggest ambition as a teenager — to become “rich and famous.” Madhavan recalls writing down his life goals when he was in Class 12. “I wrote in my ambitions that I want to be a jack of all trades and a master of some in Class 12 in Canada. I wrote that when I was 17. That’s still there in my notebook. I wrote that I want to be a rich, famous, jack of all trades and a master of some of them. Those were actually the exact words I wrote,” he said in an old letter. A conversation with Chetan Bhagat, Reflecting on the power of ambition, Madhavan said people should never put limits on their dreams, even if they seem impossible to others.
He credited his journey as proof that believing in the unthinkable can sometimes turn it into reality.“There are no limits to dreams and you should never set limits on them. I always say: ‘Be foolish. Watch incredible dreams. Dreams that make others think you are crazy.” It is very important to dream often. I never imagined that one day Amitabh Bachchan would wish me on my birthday. It is a huge thing. He is a legend. Just look at my journey.
There was a time when I was away in Jamshedpur, watching his films, and then there came a time when I was standing with him and shooting films with him. I showed this and knew it would happen one day. “You should never be afraid to dream,” he added.Interestingly, despite writing down his ambition to become an actor, Madhavan never consciously worked towards a film career. At the time, he was successfully making a living as a public speaking and communication skills coach, earning a good income and enjoying the life he had built for himself.
Acting came into his life purely by chance.“I didn’t aim to become an actor. I didn’t know that I would become an actor one day. I came to Bombay to teach communication and public speaking skills. I was earning Rs 70,000-80,000 a month at that time. Money was a lot in those days and I used to spend it all. Around the same time, a random guy approached me on the street and asked me if I wanted to act. At first, I thought it was a scam.”
“But that’s how I got into acting,” he recalls.This unexpected encounter changed the course of his life. Shortly thereafter, Madhavan landed the lead role in Mani Ratnam’s Alaipayuthey (2000), a romantic drama that was a critical and commercial success. The film catapulted him to stardom and paved the way for an illustrious career in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu cinema.
