Madhavan popularly known as “Maddy” hit the silver screen with a bang. With his role in Amir Khan’s Rang De Basanti he stole his way into the hearts of the North Indians. .

Madhavan has had a fabulous run in Tamil Cinema too. Being cast in most of Manirathnam’s latest films he was applauded for all his performances. Here are the questions answered by this talented vibrant actor during an interactive session with our correspondent.

1. Your entry into films? Was it by ‘chance’ like so many actors or was it deliberate?

Acting has always been my dream. I wouldn’t say that I got into films by mistake or accident. I sent in my portfolio to Zee TV in response to an advertisement. I got selected and I started my acting career in a TV serial shot in Mumbai.

1. Your Childhood days

I grew up in Jamshedpur which is today’s Tata Nagar. My father was in the Steel industry and therefore we were based at Jamshedpur.

1. Are you a Techie?

I love gadgets and I use my computer a great deal. I also have my own website, which incidentally is maintained by a fan from Toronto. A number of people visit my site everyday to check out what’s happening. I surf lot and I have some favourite blogs which I keep a tab on. I pay attention to what my fans post on the net. That gives me an insight into their minds and it helps me sharpen my performance.

1. Do you think we will ever reach a point where we will go beyond the NRI when it comes to o v e r s e a s audience?

It will be tough at least for a while. Is it because, like Revathy had quoted, that we Indians are so obsessed with love that we can never do any other subject. And why not? We have love stories pouring from everywhere. Love between rich and poor, healthy and weak, young and old, sweet and sour etc.. However there are many topics being dealt with these days. We have Political Vendettas, war movies; gangster movies and so many more. Besides why this need to make movies for non Indians.

1. Who according to you is a good actress these days?

I don’t see too many of them. Most of them tend to model themselves over the heroines of the past. The style of Savithri, Sri Devi and Vyjayanthimala can still be seen in many of the heroines today. It is not surprising because most of the heroines of yester years created a niche for themselves by dubbing for themselves but today only male stars do. Most actresses don’t.

1. So how does that matter?

I’ll tell you why. The dubbing artiste at times becomes stereo types. The other day I was at an awards function and the same three voices spoke for at least ten actresses that were nominated. If I didn’t know better I would have thought that the same actresses were being nominated for different films in the same category. If I had my eyes closed I could be forgiven for thinking that there are only three actresses in Tamil Cinema. Same predictable voices. Same hysterical dialogue delivery etc.

1. Then why is Sync not being used more often?

Artistes have realized that they can use their time more effectively by letting a dubbing artiste do the hectic work of dubbing fourteen or fifteen reels.

1. Does more effectively mean make more money?

You could say that but these things will take time. I know directors who have been driven round the bend using sync sound. In Sync Sound you’ve got to blend both the action as well as the dialogue spot. That is really tough.

1. Your view on the movie ratings on various websites?

The internet now allows opinions to be started and disseminated among the general audience by the twinkle of an eye. TV reviewers and vested interests keep speculating that a movie is a hit. To make things even worse came the multiplex theaters with its computer generated tickets and internet booking. Transparency in box office collections meant that the truth could not be hidden. In many cases jubilee celebrations have become a joke.