Madhavan sports activities a heat fuzzy smile on the point out of his son, Vedaant Madhavan, who’s making waves as knowledgeable freestyle swimmer.
“As a parent, I’d rate myself 6 on 10,” says Madhavan, quite candidly, “While I’m happy with Vedaant’s achievements, I’m also nervous because he has attained recognition that might be disproportionate to his achievements. I’m not worried whether he will make it big or not; I’m more concerned if he has the smartness to understand that this recognition will soon fade, and that he has to make his own name.”
Madhavan aka Maddy takes parenting significantly, regardless of admitting that his skilled commitments won’t give him the house to spend extra time together with his 19-year-old. Which is why the actor, who debuted in Tamil cinema 25 years in the past with Alaipayuthe, has not too long ago invested in a parental management app, Parent Geenee, apart from being its strategic companion. “It addresses modern parenting challenges, considering a child’s high digital exposure and accompanying perils,” he explains.
Actor Madhavan
| Photo Credit:
Srinivasa Ramanujam. Shot On OnePlus #FramesofIndia
The waters beckon
The actor is a modern mum or dad himself. In a call prompted by the COVID-induced lockdown, the Madhavan family moved, lock, inventory and barrel, to Dubai to guarantee the most effective alternatives for Vedaant to pursue his ardour for swimming. Madhavan mulls at that call and says, “It was an essential decision taken at the right time. He (Vedaant) was going through his growth spurt as a teenager and not having a pool to swim would have meant the end of his international swimming career. My wife, Sarita, and I were very hassled because all the pools in Mumbai and India were closed. At the same time, countries like Germany, France and China had opened their swimming pools and were asking the students to stay there for months together and train. Some of them even broke the world record during that phase. It was something Vedaant couldn’t miss out on, and so, when we learnt, Dubai’s pools were open… it was a good decision, as Vedaant excelled after that.”
Though he travels usually to India for work, Madhavan feels the marked distinction in way of life is that he doesn’t spend that many hours on the highway in Dubai. “As a result, I can spend quality time with golf, motorcyling and my yacht.”
Not many individuals know that Maddy owns a ship in Dubai and additionally has a captain’s license. “Yes, I do. I had to pass a written exam and go for a practical course. Managing a motor yatch on the sea is easy as it is a slow moving object but docking it is a completely different skill. To dock the boat safely without hitting the other boats was the biggest challenge,” he says.
A nonetheless from ‘Alaipayuthey’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Chocolate boy recollections
Twenty-five years in the past, his largest problem was dealing with the digital camera for Alaipayuthe, a movie that boasts legendary names reminiscent of Mani Ratnam, AR Rahman and PC Sreeram, amongst others. The sight of Madhavan with headphones driving a motorbike, with the zingy ‘Endrendrum Punnagai’ monitor taking part in within the background is one thing that followers keep in mind fondly.
“I keep questioning myself on what I did to deserve such a big break in the movies,” remembers Madhavan, on his debut movie celebrating its twenty fifth anniversary this April. “Most people spend a lifetime putting a project like that for people they care about. To have names like Mani sir, AR Rahman, PC Sreeram and Shalini for my debut can only mean an extraordinary confluence of stars and coincidences that happened. Mind you, I was 30 years old when we shot Alaipayuthe and it was a love story! I look back at it with fear sometimes.What if I had failed? I look at my ability to dance and perform in that film and wonder how I lasted thus far as an actor. Alaipayuthe gives me mixed emotions; one of gratitude, to the entire team for having done that for me, but based on 25 years of experience, I also cringe looking at myself.”
(*25*)
