Madhavan was once told to be careful around his mother-in-law: ‘Your mother-in-law is a tyrant…’

Mothers-in-law are often unfairly stereotyped as evil, interfering, or unrelenting. However, not every saas is the monster-in-law from saas-bahu soaps. In an interview, Madhavan spoke against the stereotype of a mother-in-law being a bitter, nosy, and ageing woman and said that the long-held concept of sons and daughters-in-law not being friends with their in-laws is something that should change and gushed about his wonderful in-laws.

In a chat with the Quint, the 3 Idiots star revealed that he was once advised against being friends with his in-laws and that he should always be cautious with his mother-in-law. “That your in-laws and you are not supposed to be best friends. You have to be careful, and your mother-in-law is a tyrant. I've had the most wonderful in-laws in my life,” he said.

Madhavan has been married to Sarita Birje for nearly 28 years. They tied the knot in 1999, and their son, Vedaant, was born in 2005.


In a chat with Ranveer Allahabadia, Madhavan explained the secret to his long, successful marriage – mutual respect is the key. He said that, like any couple, he and Sarita have their differences, but no amount of conflict has eroded their mutual respect.

“We have an equal amount of fights as any couple. We have a great amount of respect for each other. For Sarita, I am not just a national star or an actor; she has to feel privileged to be the wife of. She's an equal partner with the guy who fell in love with her and respects her. And I lose no opportunity to make her feel how lucky I am," he said.

Madhavan’s son, Vedaant, is a freestyle swimmer. He bagged five gold medals at the Malaysia Age Group Championships in 2023. He has competed on behalf of India at several major international sporting events, including the 2022 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games and the 2026 Asian Games.