R. Madhavan

Biography

Madhavan was born in Jamshedpur, India and his father Ranganathan is a former management executive at Tata Steel while his mother Saroja was an employee with the Bank of India. He studied at D.B.M.S. English School, Jamshedpur, before pursuing a degree in Electronics Engineering from Rajaram College in Kolhapur.

 While in college, he was chosen to be the cultural ambassador from his college to represent India in Canada, where he spent a year in Alberta as part of the student exchange program.

A mere 22-year-old Madhavan then was given the opportunity to travel to England given his exceptional performance as an NCC cadet. During his stay in England, he got the chance to train with the Royal Army, the Navy, and the Air Force of England. 

This made him consider joining the Air Force very strongly but he, unfortunately, did not meet the set requirements and couldn`t join the Air Force. 

He then enrolled in various public speaking courses and was chosen to represent India at the Young Businessman Conference in Tokyo, Japan in 1992. The courses in public speaking later helped Madhavan try his luck in the film industry.

Best remembered for his portrayal of Maddy from the 2001 romantic drama Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, Madhavan Balaji Ranganathan, is an Indian actor, producer, and television host. The big movie star, in fact, started his acting career with television and was seen in small roles, one of which was Zee TV`s soap opera Banegi Apni Baat in 1996. 

A few television appearances and ads later, his big break came with Mani Ratnam`s Alaipayuthey in 2000, which won him immense praise and recognition as a romantic hero.

 Having been a part of successful films such as Minnale, Kannathil Muthamittal, Rang De Basanti, 3 Idiots, and Tanu Weds Manu Returns, the actor has received various nominations and won several Filmfare Awards for his performances.

Madhavan also co-owns the production house Leuko Films with his wife Sarita Birje. Leuko Films has produced the 2007 drama thriller Evano Oruvan, the 2016 bilingual drama Irudhi Suttru in Tamil, and Saala Khadoos in Hindi.
 

Although Madhavan is a big movie star, he started his acting career on television with Zee TV`s drama series Yule Love Story, where he was seen portraying the role of a crook. After making his debut, he went on to feature in other shows like Zee TV`s Banegi Apni Baat and Ghar Jamai.

 The actor also essayed the role of a ship`s captain in Sea Hawks and that of a convict in Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum. Madhavan also hosted a series of television shows like Tol Mol Ke Bol and Deal Ya No Deal.

After having made his television debut, Madhavan was offered his first movie, an English-language film - Inferno, in 1997, where he played the role of an Indian police officer. His first Indian film was the 1998 Kannada comedy Shanti Shanti Shanti, which failed to impress the audience and was a box-office failure.

 However, despite two flops, the actor was offered Mani Ratnam`s Alaipayuthey in 2000 wherein he was paired opposite Shalini. The duo played the role of a young couple having problems with their marriage.

 The film was a box office success and generated good numbers at the box office. It was remade in Hindi titled Saathiya, which featured Rani Mukerji and Vivek Oberoi and was equally successful. In 2001, Madhavan bagged the role of Maddy in Gautam Menon`s romantic drama Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, starring Saif Ali Khan and Dia Mirza in lead roles.

 Initially, the film failed to create an impact at the box office but gradually the film developed a cult following among the youth. The following year the actor appeared in Kannathil Muthamittal alongside Keerthana, Simran, and Nandita Das.

Madhavan co-owns a Production house called Leukos Films with his wife Sarita Bijle. The actor produced his first Tamil film Evano Oruvan, in 2007. The production house has also produced the Tamil language film Irudhi Suttru, starring Ritika Singh and Nassar, which was simultaneously made in Hindi titled Saala Khadoos.