This superstar down South, has acted in some great Mumbai teleserials, apart from two films, Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein ('01) and Dil Vil Pyar Vyar ('02), Both flopped. Down South, his resume includes work with A-list filmmakers like K. Balachander, Priyan, Mani Ratnam, Kamal Haasan and Vikraman.

R. Madhavan, he of the choosy work ethic and boyish looks, now brings you his third Hindi film, Ramji Londonwale, directed by Sanjay Dayma, co-writer of Lagaan. Will he be third time lucky? Madhavan plays Ramji, a Bihari cook, in this romantic comedy with a social message. He opens up in a chat with 'g' in a five-star coffee shop. A virus infection has given him a bass voice, but nevertheless, the man cooks up a spicy chat.

Excerpts from an interview:

Sanjay Dayma says that he did not choose you, but it was you who chose him for Ramji Londonwale. Care to explain this 'role-reversal'?
Oh, he's just being kind. The truth is that Kamal Haasanji had written and starred in the Tamil original Nala-Damayanti, a cult comedy down South. Kamalji himself was keen that I should star in the Hindi film and offered me the story. I decided that instead of making a straight remake I'd adapt the story thinking that the slapstick humour of the original should translate into some depth. Sanjay Dayma's work in Lagaan had impressed me with its layering and depth, which is what I wanted to infuse in Ramji Londonwale.

Please explain.
The film works at several levels. From those who watch it, one will take it at face value as a comedy about a Bihari cook in London. The second guy might find that besides comedy it also has a message, while the third will find that it's a film with a message, with a comic dimension.

And what's the message?
Ramji is a cook from Bihar who moves to London, lands in trouble there, and has a series of adventures and misadventures. My question is, if you pluck a lion from an African jungle and place him in the middle of Mumbai's traffic, in other words in an environment as disparate as possible from his natural environs, does he still remain a lion, or does he turn into a docile cat? So, do we Indians maintain our dignity, integrity and spirit irrespective of surroundings when placed in an alien, maybe hostile atmosphere? Or do we change? Or cave in?

Have you officially contributed to the adaptation?
Of course, I've got the Additional Screenplay credit line!

How come Kamal Haasan want you to do the film?
We struck a rapport during Ambe Sivam. He could not have done the Hindi version because of various reasons. It's an honour he thought me good enough.

I'm told that you are as much a Bihari as a South Indian.
Yes, I was brought up in Tata Nagar, Bihar, where my dad was posted. Though our home culture was completely South Indian I was exposed to the Hindi ethos from day one. Maybe it is not as stable a growth when you are away from your roots, but while life looks easy when rooted, it does not equip you as well to face challenges later. And then there was more integration to come, because my wife is a Maharashtrian from Kolhapur! She keeps me company as I flip-flop between Chennai and Mumbai for my films, handling my finances, and my costumes for my films down South!

Three Hindi films in five years – isn't that being over-selective?
Yes, but I should want to go out there and shoot for a film. Till date, I have done 23 films, 19 in Tamil, 1 in Malayalam and 3 in Hindi of course. The only film I have on hand after Ramji… is my 20th Tamil film, Thambi, which is being made by the producers of Ramji…

Did you do any first hand research on Bihari cooks in London?
Believe me, London is swamped with them! I had first-hand information from so many.

Can you cook?
Yeah, but only stories! Frankly there are not too many cooking scenes in the film, which was lucky!

What are the changes you have seen in Southern and Hindi cinema in the last five years?
There are dramatic changes – we are going adventurous. The commercial formula format is really being tested. Films are being made increasingly without songs, and realistic cinema has had major successes like Black, Sarkar and Autograph down South.

What fired the acting bug in you?
Economics! I cannot imagine a better way of getting rich quicker than by becoming an actor! I came down to Mumbai where I had my own Public Speaking and Communication Skills classes. I got an offer to act there – Banegi Apni Baat followed by Sea Hawks, Tol Mol Ke Bol and Ghar Jamai. But I was casual about all this till one day I realized that there was something wrong in my approach. I realized that if people were calling me a good actor I should give my profession some respect and try and improve. So I began to pay attention to my work, and learnt a lot from the phenomenal artistes who were my TV co-actors, like Satish Shah, Shefali Chhaya and Pallavi Joshi. I closed down my institute and decided to concentrate on films.

Wasn't your wife one of the students? What did she think of the change?
It's uncanny, but she maintains that she somehow knew that I'd ultimately become an actor even when I had not dreamt of it!

How does it feel becoming a father?
Great! It's much superior than cooking, isn't it?