TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS | Updates - Look back with Madhavan Pg33 - Page 7

He picks and chooses his films carefully, but always makes impact when he acts in one. R Madhavan, versatile and a successful bi lingual actor, re enacts the shy engineer Manu in the promising Tanu Weds Manu Returns'. We chat with him on the sequel, his selection of films & his turn as Khadoos'.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns' is different from most sequels for it picks up the plot from the previous film. Did you find it tough to recreate the same character and to keep it real in this one?

I don't think you've ever seen a sequel where, true to the timeline, the story starts exactly where it was left off four years later. I don't think it's happened ever in cinema with my limited knowledge; even abroad. This is a sequel in true sense of the word because the story starts off exactly four years later, deep into their marriage.

The other part which is amazing is that everybody is true to their character from the original; the exact same people, living the exact same life, except it's four years from the wedding. For me, it was tougher because when I did the first, if I had inkling that there might be the possibility of a sequel, and then I would have probably planted that seed. Its easy then to pick it up from there. This is a bolt from the blue!

So when you start off with a realistic believable character, and then there is a double role to deal with, it's even more challenging to keep it real. When you go in to the realm of a double role, you have to take it to another level to make it believable. It was brutal to say the least. On top of that, Anand Rai (the director) said that I am going to throw a challenge at you and this is going to be the toughest role of your life. I am like all directors say that, but with Anand I have reason to believe him for he is an extraordinary director and might even mean it! It's only when I went to start shooting this film then I realized that you have to be Manu with one person (Tanu), and also with Datto; and you have to make it real, it was challenging! On top of that he said that I am going to give Manu minimum dialogues. I need you to fill the screenplay gaps with your expressions. I need to see why Manu took that decision on your face. That is something that no director has ever told me!

He said that if you don't perform, people will think the screenplay was bad. And if you do perform, then I take all the credit. He had prepared me for it. It is tough to stay real under circumstances like this. So I would say that this is probably the toughest role of my life.

Has consistency been maintained through out, in terms of sets, locations etc? The right ambience would be a prerequisite for this film to remain consistent and real.

That's the beauty of Anand Rai and Himanshu. They take the whole team along. They usher us all along and they create the environment for the right kind of expression to come; that is simply spectacular. I think Anand Rai is one of the few directors in India who is so brilliant with his actors. In the sequel's trailer, you will not notice the other beauty of keeping consistency. We've actually shot in the same lane where the first film was shot. The girl who was doing a nagin dance when she was 9 years old has grown up, shy and embarrassed. The naked kid running on the street and saying Tanu has arrived is the same boy. But you don't notice all those details because you're constantly looking at how the actors are portraying.

The other problem is that everyone is waiting with their claws out to see how they can tear the sequel apart. I would do the same. Even if it was not my film! I want to see if Lage Raho Munnabhai is better than Munnabhai MBBS. Cmon man, why are you messing with that perfect film?

We were skeptical about how the trailer would be accepted. Now, that the trailer has been liked, there is a lot of pressure for this film to do well.

You've worked with Kangana for a second time, and she is now recognized as one of our best performers. Did you find her more mature on set?

A little know fact is that when Anand Rai first narrated this story to me, he didn't have any actress on board yet. The first thing I made him promise is that you will narrate it to Kangana. Nobody believed in the film then. In fact he had paid an advance to another actor to play the lead role.

I was supposed to act in another film with Kangana in the US, and that's when I told Anand that I don't think there is anybody else who can bring out the mitti ki khushboo' aspect that we need for this film, like her. So I convinced him to narrate it to her despite he having paid an advance to someone else. She was on her way to the airport, and I called her and told her to meet him too. She said if you are saying that the script is good then I will meet him.

And I knew that in the present scenario, when everybody is romancing someone abroad with Westernized lingo and physicality like smooching, I knew that there is a part of India, where romance is not like this. Romance in such parts of India is like the kind you see in Tanu Weds Manu. If there is a rebellious girl then she is like Tanu. It's not like she sports a mini skirt in a university abroad.

Kangana was brilliant in the first film. She floated through the role and did a great job. After Queen' and her metamorphosis as a more serious actor and with all the accolades that she deserves, she is an absolute challenge to work with! For me it's a huge and welcome transition for you also want to live up to that and do as well. She is a brilliant actor!

What is the status of Saala Khadoos'?

It's a proper Hindi film. Its also being shot in Tamil. We are being very careful about the timing of that film's release because its also a whole different image for me. The film is ready and was shot before Tanu Weds Manu Returns' and Raju Hirani is sitting on the edit right now. We didn't want to release it before Tanu' because that would mean a huge clash of images for both these people so it didn't augur well for either of those films. We decided that it's best to wait for Tanu Weds Manu Returns' to release and then release the film. We have let out a teaser on the Internet, but will be releasing the trailer after this film soon.

You are one of the few South Indian actors who has made a successful transition to Hindi films. You are also quite selective about the number of films you take up. Do you think that has worked in your favor?

I am actually from Bihar. I was born and brought up there. I am a South Indian so I speak Tamil. I don't think either of these things helps an actor to be accepted merely because of his background. Hindi audiences are very clear. Either you are aspirational or you are not. It's very clear.

I get noticed because there are other South Indian actors in the past that became prominent for some time. Backgrounds aren't that important. Take for example Mithun Da. He came from Bengal and became a national award winning rock star and still is! He managed to stay on top of his career not because he is from West Bengal but because he is a brilliant actor.

People from South who were also brilliant came here like Kamla Hassan Sir & Rajni Sir; I think they did very well in their times. I have just been lucky that in my times I am able to convince people that I am North Indian because I have also acted in television before. My selective approach is Not to safeguard a South Indian identity. I think it is simply because I am trying to catch up with this generation which is moving ahead so fast and makes you redundant quite quickly. I have been acting for 15 years and I have only done 11 films.

Recently, I went to Kangana's school and 15-year-old girls taking videos of me said Maddy you're so hot'! That's frightening and somewhat unreal for a 45-year-old actor right? And that makes me feel even more stressed when I have to select a script to do. So selectiveness is because I am more of a coward than those actors who have the strength and ability to just do a film on a lark.

For the promotions of 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns', Kangana Rananut picked a look by design duo Rahul and Shikha.

Her desi look included a printed long kurta and lehenga skirt. I love the mix of patterns here and I love the styling even more, which included mojris, earrings, glass bangles and a top knot.

She looked super!