R Madhavan

R Madhavan, called Maddy by his fans, is an actor, writer, producer and director whose career spans Tamil and Hindi cinema. He is best remembered for Alai Payuthey (2000), 3 Idiots (2009) and Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022), and in 2026 the Government of India gave him the Padma Shri. His start came with Mani Ratnam's Alai Payuthey (2000), followed by Minnale (2001). Run (2002) and Rendu (2006) drew big crowds, and Anbe Sivam (2003) won him strong praise. In Hindi he played key parts in Rang De Basanti (2006), Guru (2007) and 3 Idiots (2009), which set a new box office record for Indian cinema on release. After Tanu Weds Manu (2011) and Vettai (2012), he took a three year break, returning with Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015), Irudhi Suttru (2016) and Vikram Vedha (2017). He then played scientist Nambi Narayanan in Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022), his first film as director, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. Shaitaan (2024), Dhurandhar (2025) and Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026) followed, the last becoming his biggest hit. Madhavan has shown wide range, from romantic leads to a sports drama and a crime thriller, and he often writes for his own films. Playing a rough boxing coach in Irudhi Suttru earned him Best Actor prizes from Filmfare, IIFA and SIIMA. Across more than 70 films, his trophy shelf holds five SIIMA Awards, five Filmfare Awards South, two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and a National Film Award.