Putting direction on backburner for a while to focus on acting: R Madhavan

He melted hearts with his chocolate-boy charm and killer smile in his 2001 Bollywood debut ‘Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein’ and Mani Ratnam’s 2000 romantic musical ‘Alai Payuthey’. He could have built his career solely on his good looks, but R Madhavan carved a path that is pan-Indian and enviable. Whether it was his powerhouse performance in ‘Kannathil Muthamittal’, his small yet significant role in ‘Rang De Basanti’, the inspiring Farhan Qureshi in ‘3 Idiots’, the endearing desi NRI in ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ or his menacing turn in ‘Shaitaan’, audiences have never been able to bracket him into a single genre.

Even as a director, he made his mark with his debut directorial venture ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’, which won the National Award for ‘Best Feature Film’. Now, his portrayal of a railway official fighting against a banking scam in ‘Hisaab Barabar’ on ‘Zee5’ is resonating with the common man. The film also stars Neil Nitin Mukesh and Kirti Kulhari. Aging like fine wine, Madhavan is one of the few Indian actors who has managed to stay relevant while leaving a lasting impact on viewers. A pan-Indian star and an actor par excellence, Madhavan speaks with ‘Millennium Post’ about smartphone addiction, the impact of artificial intelligence and more.

Films on financial scams are becoming more prominent in Indian cinema. What made you choose ‘Hisaab Barabar’ on ‘Zee5’?

I kept receiving messages about small deductions from my account, minor interest additions and OTP requests for services I never applied for. It made me think back to when I had a passbook. I always knew exactly how much money I had in my bank. Back then, I felt in control of my finances. Now, I often don’t even know my account balance at a given moment and frankly, I’d rather not, because dealing with the bank is exhausting. Every conversation with them just makes things more complicated.

I wondered why banks couldn’t simply tell me the exact amount they would charge as commission for the entire year, rather than these small, confusing deductions. When this film came to me, I could relate to it completely. I realised the story would resonate with the common man and that’s why I said yes.

In the film, you play a ticket checker with Indian Railways, a common, righteous man who discovers a small error in his bank account and, upon investigating, uncovers a larger scam. For the common man, a bank is the most trusted place to keep money. So, where do ordinary people turn when that trust is broken?

These scams are harmful to the financial stability of the country and unfortunately, they aren’t limited to India. They’re happening worldwide. Many frauds are also being orchestrated from across borders.

This transition into a digital economy, micro-financing and digital banking comes with challenges. But eventually, we must develop a stable system where people don’t have to constantly worry about where their money is or how it’s being managed.

Do you think artificial intelligence (AI) increases the risk of financial scams?

AI is undoubtedly going to change the world. In my humble opinion, over the next few decades, people will begin choosing when they want to step off the technological bandwagon. The pace of change will be so rapid that it will be easy to lose one’s bearings.

We’ve already seen in places like Japan that people are embracing minimalism. I believe smartphone usage and reliance on technology will decrease among those who struggle to keep up. Eventually, many will retreat into their own small communities, surrounded by like-minded individuals and deliberately disconnect from the constant flow of global information that has no direct impact on their lives.

For example, you open social media and read about someone being cruel to a dog in Haryana. You feel terrible, but there’s nothing you can do about it and yet, it ruins your day. In the past, this kind of information wasn’t so easily accessible and people were happier in their ignorance. I think many will eventually choose that ignorance and a simpler way of life. And for those who want to fight the technological battle and race on a day-to-day basis, they will continue to do that.

Will AI impact cinematic creativity?

I don’t think AI can ever replace the creative and personal touch of a human mind and body. Emotion is something intangible but deeply felt. Take a song like ‘Zara Zara’ from ‘Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein’. The lyrics and tune remain the same, but if three different singers perform it, each version will evoke a different feeling. That’s because every singer brings their own life experiences into the performance. Even in animation, ‘The Lion King’, for example, emotions come through because of human voice acting. No matter how advanced AI becomes, it won’t be able to replicate that depth of feeling. You can perfect a synthetic voice, but it will never truly transmit human emotion.

In today’s world, we are all obsessed with our smartphones. Do you find yourself addicted to your phone?

I am obsessed with the capabilities of the phone. Most of my work gets done on it, from approving designs to research, banking and communication. But sometimes, of late, I have flung the phone aside.

I am so tired of it. I just want to lift my head, take my eyes off the screen, play a game and interact with a human being. I think that feeling is creeping in more and more.

In ‘Hisaab Barabar’, your character Radhe is obsessed with numbers. Are you the same way in real life? Do you follow box office numbers closely?

There are a few things in my life that I’m not obsessed with at all. One of them happens to be numbers. I let everybody else around me handle it.

So, you’ve never been concerned about box office results?

Oh, I’ve definitely worried about it! But I don’t need to see the exact figures. Just tell me - ‘Bhaiya, paise kamaya ya nahi’? (‘Did it make money or not?’)

Does it affect you when a project doesn’t achieve the success you hoped for?

It absolutely affects me. I want to catch everybody who’s responsible for not doing it properly because money was put in good faith and there is no reason for the people to have lost the money unless it was not put in good faith. So, I feel very personally responsible for it.

In The Future

Ajay Devgn recently mentioned that ‘Shaitaan 2’ is being written. Are you involved?

I have no clue. I don’t know if it’s in development, who’s directing it or anything else. If Ajay has mentioned it, I assume he’ll discuss it with me at some point. But as of now, we haven’t had any conversation about it.

You made your directorial debut with ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’ in 2022. When are you directing next?

As far as my direction is concerned, I’m feeling more and more that I have a lot to give as an actor. Direction takes up a lot of my time and I’m afraid people will find out that I’m not a good director if I don’t get deeply involved with the subject. So, I’m going to put that on the back burner for a bit and for now, just concentrate on acting.