Despite having an illustrated career, some of his films and performances have had underwhelming responses.
Ranganathan Madhavan, famously known as R Madhavan, is one of the most loved actors of Tamil and Hindi cinema. After getting his first major break in Tamil cinema with Mani Ratnam's Alai Payuthey (2000), he went on to star in several hit films including Run (2002), Thambi (2006), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Anbe Sivam (2003), and Aayutha Ezhuthu (2004), among others. He then shifted his focus to Bollywood, and gained much praise for his role in films including Rang De Basanti (2006), Guru (2007) and 3 Idiots (2009) along with Tanu Weds Manu (2011).
After taking a break from acting for 3 years, he returned to films to star in Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015), and impressed the audience and critics alike in films like Irudhi Suttru (2016) and Vikram Vedha (2017). In 2022, he made his directorial debut in Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, and starred as Indian rocket scientist Nambi Narayanan in the film.
Despite having an illustrated career, there have been several ups and downs, and some of the actor’s films and performances have had underwhelming responses despite his hard work and acting prowess. So on the occasion of his 55th birthday, here’s a look at R Madhavan’s underrated performances that deserve more attention:
Vikram Vedha starred Madhavan and Vijay Sethupati in leading roles, and revolved around themes of influence and ghosts of the past. Considered to be one of the highest-rated films of the actor with an IMDb rating of 8.4, Vikram Vedha turned out to be a moderate success, and certainly deserves more recognition, thanks to Madhavan’s acting in the film. It is available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
With a rating of 7.3 on IMDb, the horror film had dark noir colour tones, but failed to gain widespread popularity. However, critics still praise the film for its compelling storyline, touting it to be Bollywood`s finest horror drama in a long time. It is available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, and revolves around a family who moves into a new apartment but is haunted by the spirits.
With Rocketry The Nambi Effect, Madhavan made his directorial debut, and it is one of Madhavan`s highest-rated movies on IMDb. He also acted in the film as Nambi Narayanan and showcased his struggles in ISRO with finesse. Nonetheless, he proved his versatility as both an actor and a filmmaker.
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s film offered a modern-day take on the youth’s idea of patriotism, and in the much-loved project, the actor played the role of Indian Airforce Flight Lt. Ajay Singh Rathod. Despite having a brief role, he managed to leave an impact on the audience.
In the sports drama, the actor played a boxing coach, who tries to accomplish his dream by training an amateur boxer, Madhi. Helmed by Sudha K Prasad, the film can be streamed on MXPlayer. The film was much appreciated for the actor’s performance and honest portrayal of a talented yet failed boxer.
