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R Madhavan says he is okay with his film Hisaab Barabar dropping directly on OTT

Throw any question at him and he has an instant, logical answer. Nothing catches the intelligent actor off guard. National Award-winning actor R Madhavan, known for superhits like Tanu Weds Manu, 3 Idiots and more, who will soon be seen...
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Throw any question at him and he has an instant, logical answer. Nothing catches the intelligent actor off guard. National Award-winning actor R Madhavan, known for superhits like Tanu Weds Manu, 3 Idiots and more, who will soon be seen in the lead role in Zee 5’s Hisaab Barabar, is okay with his film dropping directly on OTT.

Web platforms are a familiar turf for the actor, who has been part of web series like Breathe and The Railway Men. During the days of pandemic, his film Maara too had a direct to OTT release. Today, he believes, “There is a firm line between what works on streamers and which films deserve a theatrical release.” If visual grandeur is what delineates a theatrical outing, on OTT, he states, “What you need are good performances and an intriguing storyline. On that count, Hisaab Barabar is an OTT film.” Since the film champions a common man’s crusade, we wonder if stardom too can be put to effective use to further societal causes. He says, “It is easy for me to play it like a star, but then the empathy for the character would be lost. Stories of underdogs, of those who make it against all odds, say a rickshawallah’s son becoming an Indian Air Force pilot, are more potent than superhero sagas. These are Herculean efforts that surpass all other achievements and even stardom.”

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Content is king now

Of course, what made him say yes to Hisaab Barabar was also its unusual premise of banks surreptitiously cheating its customers of small, almost paltry amounts, yet making a killing for themselves in the process. Prior to signing the film, he had this uneasy feeling of not having any control over his accounts. In real life, however, he is not obsessed with numbers like his reel character. But yes one hisaab he would like to settle is recognition in consonance with his talent. And to those who dub him ‘Akshay Kumar of South’, his repartee is laced with annoyance, “Some figment of a foolish mind which puts one’s credibility at stake.”

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Indeed. For someone who has given us many blockbusters in Hindi cinema too, what is his take on the much-talked-about north-south alchemy. He says, “Content is now the king. Earlier, stardom was all that mattered. Now a well-intended story, whether it comes from North or South, works wonders. Besides, OTT has made us privy to cinema in all languages, especially from the South and built a fan base. So, Pushpa 2 in Hindi does more business than the one in its original language.”

No magic in remakes

With more and more viewers becoming language agnostic, expectedly, remakes have lost relevance. Take his successful Tamil film Vikram Vedha, which failed to enthuse viewers when remade in Hindi with big stars like Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan. He observes, “Gone are the days when pan-Indian audiences would not have seen Ghajini before its remake in Hindi hits the screens. The only excitement today remakes can generate is comparison with the original.” But the real competition, he feels, is not from within, but outside. As Korean content is gaining much currency, he quips, “My son knows more about Korean stars than Indian, which is not right.”

Director’s eye

As president of the FTII, ‘a position of honour and responsibility’ he hopes to make a difference and, “Ensure taxpayers’ money is well-spent, and students stick to the industry and make it more relevant.” What effective changes he will bring about during his tenure he does not reveal right away. One day he would also like to talk at length about the uniqueness of his directorial debut, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, which won a National Award. The director in him would likely surface again, only if he finds yet another passion project like Rocketry, which he understood inside out. Besides, he feels there is much in him to give us as an actor.

Thinking man’s actor

For now, watch him play an overzealous common man for whom every penny counts, and one who makes those who rob him and others of it accountable. Apart from an aam aadmi picking up cudgels, the film also celebrates the collective power of society coupled with vast reach of social media.

He reasons, “There was a time when you heard the stories of an angry crusader through articles etc. Now it can gain momentum in real time and involve all of us.” Interestingly, during the shooting of one of the climactic scenes in the film, he shares how the crowds, which had gathered, actually started debating the issue. Whether the film, which drops on January 24, will be a conversation-starter, he assures, “It will make you rethink.” As does this thinking man’s actor. When not acting, he could be seen lined-up on the golf course or posting his son Vedaant’s swimming achievements, for which he takes no credit. But for being the man and the actor he is, he deserves all plaudits.

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