R Madhavan may no longer see himself returning to the youthful romantic avatar that made him a star, but the actor is firmly against the notion that turning older means leaving romance behind. Reflecting on how his career has evolved, Madhavan said he is open to portraying mature and meaningful romantic relationships on screen.“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 stressed that he has always been mindful of portraying romance in a way that suits his age and has avoided characters that feel inappropriate for his stage in life.“Just because you’re 55 doesn’t mean there’s no romance. Absolutely not,” he said.The actor’s amidst his latest release ‘GDN’ on the big screen, which is a biographical drama centred on inventor GD Naidu. Directed by Krishnakumar Ramakumar, the film combines the story of Naidu’s extraordinary life with a relationship track, giving Madhavan an opportunity to explore romance after a considerable gap.Speaking about the experience, the actor admitted that stepping into a romantic scene again was something he genuinely looked forward to. “After a long time, I finally got a chance to do a romance scene. I’d love to do it,” he said.Madhavan’s association with romance is closely linked to ‘Alaipayuthey’, Mani Ratnam’s 2000 romantic drama that catapulted him to nationwide fame. His portrayal of Karthik, who falls in love with and marries Shalini’s Shakthi, continues to be remembered as one of Tamil cinema’s defining romantic performances.The film’s emotional storytelling was further amplified by A.R. Rahman’s music, with tracks such as ‘Snehithane’ and ‘Pachai Nirame’ becoming enduring favourites. ‘Alaipayuthey’ was later remade in Hindi as ‘Saathiya’ in 2002.Over the years, Madhavan went on to headline several romance-driven films, including ‘Minnale’, ‘Dum Dum Dum’, ‘Sillunu Oru Kaadhal’ and ‘Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein’. However, his filmography gradually shifted towards more performance-oriented characters, with films such as ‘Irudhi Suttru’, ‘Vikram Vedha’ and ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’ showcasing a different side of the actor.During the same conversation, Madhavan also spoke about another principle that has shaped his choices on screen. He revealed that he has largely refused to portray or permit scenes involving a woman being slapped in his films, although he remembers one exception early in his career.“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.He explained that he believes cinema can explore conflict and intense situations without necessarily relying on such depictions. “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’, which is directed by Krishnakumar Ramakumar and co-written by Madhavan, tells the story of GD Naidu, the celebrated Indian inventor often described as the “Edison of India”. The film features an ensemble cast including Sathyaraj, Jayaram, Priyamani, Dushara Vijayan, Aditi Balan, Vinay Rai, Karunakaran and Thambi Ramaiah. The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on August 7.
