Actor Madhavan is known as the Shah Rukh Khan of the south. And the Hrithik Roshan of the south. "And many more names I have lost count of," he grins. "I only wish I were known as Madhavan of the south."
Extremely popular in the Tamil industry, the actor says he has a great fan following abroad as well. Here's why:
He is: 5" 11.
What he wore: A short lime green and yellow striped shirt, with tapered black trousers and black shoes.
Spotted at: The NCPA, Mumbai, India Fashion Week 2003.
What he was doing there: "Well, I know Arjun Khanna. I know a few designers and some are good friends."
What he knows about fashion: "I'm quite spaced out about fashion actually. I know, I'm nuts. I'm supposed to be a filmstar. But my wife handles all of that."
What he likes to wear: "Clothes that I feel comfortable in. I'm definitely not okay with clothes that cling to every part of my body. For that, I need a physique like Arjun Rampal's. Besides, I like fabrics that breathe well. I have a high metabolic rate and tend to sweat a bit. So I can't handle fabrics that have no room to breathe."
He is working on: Jay Jay, the Tamil film directed by Charan, and Mani Ratnam's untitled bilingual. "That is very exciting for me."
In the south he is called: "Everything. I am known as the Shah Rukh Khan of the south. The Hrithik Roshan of the south. All kinds of names. I only wish I were known as Madhavan of the south!"
The south film industry is: "Undoubtedly, categorically lucky for me. I'm so glad I shifted to Chennai. Of course, now that I'm doing well, the pressures keep mounting with every film. I'm expected to do something different with each film."
What he wants: "A good story. I'm not too concerned about experimenting with genres. I just want a good script."
His fan following: "Did you know I have more fans abroad than here in India? I was recently in Singapore, and tried to get into a theatre to watch [his film] Priyamana Thozhi. I couldn't get in. It was packed. The nicest part is it's not just Indians who like my film. It's the whole Asian audience... the Chinese, the Japanese... I always ask my producers to give me the overseas rights of my films. They usually say, 'We'll give you a great salary, but don't ask for the overseas rights.'"
Recent unforgettable experience: "I was at the 26th Asian American International Film Festival in New York in June. Mani Ratnam's Kannathil Mutthamittal was screened there. Of course, people didn't recognise me because I look older in the film. People didn't want the lights to go on after the film was over because they were all crying. This time, the audience was a good mix of Asian and American. Simply amazing."
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