R Madhavan earned Rs 70,000-80,000 in Mumbai before becoming an actor; recalls how a random street encounter led to his first acting job: ‘I thought it was a scam’

R Madhavan is regarded as one of Indian cinema’s most versatile actors, with films such as Alaipayuthey, Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein and, more recently, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect and Dhurandhar adding to his diverse body of work.

Unlike many actors whose careers are defined by years of rejection and struggle, Madhavan’s journey has been driven largely by self-belief and an ambition to dream big. Long before acting became his profession, the actor had already written down one of his biggest aspirations as a teenager — to become “rich and famous”.

Madhavan recalled writing down his life goals while he was in Class 12. In an old conversation with author Chetan Bhagat, he said he had written that he wanted to become “a jack of all trades and master of some” and also aspired to become a “rich and famous actor”.


“I had written that as a 17-year-old. It is still there in my notebook. I had written that I want to become a rich and famous actor and a jack of all trades and a master of some. Those were actually the exact words I had written,” he said.

‘There is no limit to dreaming’

Reflecting on the power of ambition, Madhavan said people should never put limits on their dreams, even when their goals appear unrealistic to others. He described his own journey as proof that believing in the seemingly impossible can sometimes make it a reality.

“There is no limit to dreaming and you should never limit it either. I always say, ‘Be a fool. See unbelievable dreams. Dreams that will make others think you are crazy.’ It is very important to dream big,” he said.

Madhavan recalled how he once watched Amitabh Bachchan’s films from Jamshedpur and never imagined that he would eventually work alongside the veteran actor.

“I had never imagined that one day Amitabh Bachchan would wish me on my birthday. It is a huge thing. He is a legend. Just look at my journey. There was a time when I was far away in Jamshedpur, watching his films, and then came a time when I was standing with him, doing films with him. I manifested this and I knew it would happen one day. You should never be scared of dreaming,” he added.

Madhavan never planned to become an actor

Interestingly, despite writing down his ambition to become an actor, Madhavan never actively pursued a career in films. At the time, he was working as a public speaking and communication skills trainer and had built a financially successful career.

“I was not aiming to become an actor. I didn’t know that I would become an actor one day. I came to Bombay to teach communication skills and public speaking,” he recalled.

Madhavan said he was earning between Rs 70,000 and Rs 80,000 a month at the time, which was considered a substantial income then.

“I was earning between Rs 70,000 and Rs 80,000 a month at that time. It was a lot of money in those days and I used to spend it all,” he said.

His entry into acting came unexpectedly when a stranger approached him on the street and asked whether he wanted to act.

“Around the same time, someone randomly approached me on the street and asked if I wanted to act. At first, I thought it was a scam. But that’s how I got into acting,” Madhavan said.

‘Alaipayuthey’ changed his career

The chance encounter eventually altered the trajectory of his life. Madhavan went on to land the lead role in Mani Ratnam’s Alaipayuthey in 2000.

The romantic drama became a critical and commercial success, establishing Madhavan as a leading actor and opening the doors to a career spanning Tamil, Hindi and Telugu cinema.