R Madhavan came up with not-so-known trivia and stories from his life in the first episode of The Filmy Hustle podcast, hosted by distributor-exhibitor Akshaye Rathi. He also opened up about the cancel culture that exists today and how he was slammed for his otherwise much-loved film, Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001).
R Madhavan HITS BACK at allegations that Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein glorified stalking: “When phones and social media didn’t exist, how did you contact a girl? Give the boys a chance…90% of the guys now are afraid to approach a girl”
R Madhavan noted, “Social media keeps us in line. The comments can be so brutal. You can’t afford to ignore it. At the same time, you can’t make their comments the yardstick on which you make your next project.”
He said, “Everyone criticized Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein. My question to them is – at a time when phones and social media didn’t exist, how did you contact a girl? What was considered decent? If (you arrive at a place) knowing that the girl (you like) is there and you approach her decently, (there’s nothing wrong in it). Going by their logic, my father would have been accused of stalking.”
He remarked, “Every month, there used to be festivals in my village as it was an opportunity for social interaction. How do you meet a girl in a city today? For a normal lower middle-class person, where is the opportunity to meet a woman in the most decent way? If I have to write a story, how do I write it that a guy meets a woman without social media and strikes up a conversation? My character in Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein did what he did. We can argue till the cows come home. All I want to say is – give the boys a chance.”
The actor continued, “We used to go to nightclubs where out of 100 guys, two would be haraamis. They’ll touch girls in the wrong manner and give the guys a bad name. But there would be 10 guys who’ll have the courage to decently approach a girl. 60% of the guys would be such that unko himmat nahin hoti thi ladki ke saath bolne ki. Now the number has jumped to 90%. 90% of the guys now are afraid to make the move.”
He added, “I remember shooting for Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022). One of the actresses was walking down the road with me while we were explaining the scenes. She was very pretty. A guy walked up to her and asked me if he could speak to her. I said, ‘I am okay’. He told her, ‘You are very beautiful. You have a very charming smile. I want to know if you are free to have coffee with me?’. He asked in the sweetest way.”
R Madhavan then revealed, “The girl held his hand and replied, ‘I am engaged to a handsome, lovely man. But if I was not, I would have loved to go out with you. Can you please not give up on this habit of telling a girl what you feel instead of texting her? We girls are dying for guys to approach us’. This happened in front of my eyes.”
He ended his answer by exulting, “I have to understand this culture. I need to find the thin line in a way that I won’t be criticized and yet tell a story.”
Also Read: R Madhavan praises Sunita Williams’ Safe return after 9 Months in Space: “This is all God’s grace”
More Pages: Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein Box Office Collection , Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein Movie Review
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