Madhavan reveals he is still a romantic: ‘Just because you are 55…’

While Madhavan has certainly moved on from his chocolate boy hero days, the actor, who rose to stardom with romantic dramas such as Alaipayuthey, Minnale, etc., hinted that he was far from done with romance and that love has nothing to do with age.

In an interview, the 3 Idiots star said that while he is not against doing a romantic scene, he would only agree to age-appropriate love stories.

“I’m not going to play the lead like Alaipayuthey, I know that. But there’s no reason for me to think I can’t play equally impactful romantic or relationship roles,” Madhavan said. He stressed that he has always been mindful of portraying romance in a way that suits his age and has avoided characters that feel inappropriate for his stage in life. Just because you’re 55 doesn’t mean there’s no romance. Absolutely not,” he said.


Madhavan is currently in the spotlight with his latest theatrical release, GDN, a biographical drama based on the remarkable life and achievements of Indian inventor GD Naidu. Helmed by Krishnakumar Ramakumar, the movie blends Naidu’s inspiring journey with a romantic storyline, allowing Madhavan to return to the genre after a significant period.

Reflecting on the experience, Madhavan revealed that he was genuinely excited about performing romantic sequences again. The actor also discussed a personal principle that has influenced the way he approaches his film roles and the kind of content he chooses to be associated with.

Madhavan also added that there are a few things he has decided to steer clear of, including portraying violence against women in films. He said that he prefers avoiding doing scenes that involve his character slapping women. He admitted that early on in his career he had to do one such scene, as the director considered it necessary for the narrative. However, since then, he has stopped doing such scenes altogether.

He explained that emotionally charged moments and arguments can be explored on screen without resorting to violence against women.

According to Madhavan, filmmakers can portray disagreements, tension and emotionally charged situations without resorting to violence against women. A society can make movies while following a certain principle and not violating it.

GDN, directed by Krishnakumar Ramakumar and co-written by Madhavan, chronicles the life of GD Naidu, the pioneering Indian inventor who is frequently referred to as the “Edison of India”. The movie brings together an extensive cast featuring Sathyaraj, Jayaram, Priyamani, Dushara Vijayan, Aditi Balan, Vinay Rai, Karunakaran and Thambi Ramaiah.

The movie opened to a lukewarm response from the audience. According to a Koimoi.com report, the film earned just ₹0.53 crore on its first day. However, the movie managed to gain some momentum during the weekend, with improved earnings on Saturday and Sunday taking its opening-weekend collection to ₹2.69 crore net domestically.

Despite the initial weekend growth, the film struggled to maintain its pace during the days that followed. Its earnings witnessed a consistent decline throughout the first week, resulting in a modest ₹4.31 crore net collection in India by the end of its opening week. On a gross basis, the film’s first-week earnings stood at approximately ₹5.09 crore.