R Madhavan, known for his versatile performances, recently reflected on his role in Rajkumar Hirani’s 2009 hit 3 Idiots, where he portrayed an 18-year-old engineering student despite being 40 at the time. Alongside Aamir Khan, who was 44, and Sharman Joshi, then 30, Madhavan took on a role that tested the boundaries of believability in casting.
In a recent interview with News18 Showsha, Madhavan confessed that he was extremely nervous about how the audience would accept their portrayal. “I was sh**ting bricks when I was doing 3 Idiots as I was 40 years old at that time. Oh my god! It’s a miracle that we passed off as college students,” he said.
Reality Versus Perception on Set
What helped ease their anxiety was an unexpected confidence boost during the shoot at IIM Bangalore. Madhavan recalled how the real students on campus appeared significantly older. “But the funny part was when we went to the college and got into our attires, we were looking younger than the actual students there,” he said, adding that many students were either "bald or had grey hair". “We had to ask them if they’re students or professors. When they said that they’re students, we were like, ‘Achchi baat hai, bhai! Now we feel much younger.’”
Aamir Khan had also voiced similar apprehensions during his appearance on The Great Indian Kapil Show. He admitted he initially refused the role, fearing audiences would not accept a 44-year-old man playing a teenager. “I wasn’t even doing 3 Idiots because I thought the public would laugh at me,” he said, revealing he had asked director Rajkumar Hirani to cast younger actors.
Changing Perspectives in Film Casting
Reflecting on the experience years later, Madhavan said the discomfort of playing much younger characters has led him to avoid such roles in the future. “To romance a 28-year-old girl and to believe that both the characters is hum-umar ke log is a bit too much for everybody,” he stated in the same interview, highlighting his preference for more age-appropriate casting now.
His upcoming film Aap Jaisa Koi, a romantic drama with Fatima Sana Shaikh, explores a relationship between a 48-year-old Sanskrit professor and a 28-year-old French professor. Madhavan emphasized that the film handles the dynamics of such a relationship thoughtfully, questioning whether such love is viable or justified.
He noted that Hollywood has also begun steering away from unrealistic age portrayals. “Even Hollywood doesn’t accept that anymore. There’s a complete disregard for two romantically involved characters with a big age difference,” he said.
Career Choices and Changing Trends
Madhavan has consistently aimed to work on content-driven films. He admired how Aamir Khan’s projects have strong narratives and shared that 3 Idiots was a turning point, with many fans telling him it changed their lives.
Currently, Madhavan is busy with De De Pyaar De 2, where he plays Rakul Preet Singh’s father, and will also be seen in Dhurandhar. His last appearance was in Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh, where he portrayed Neville McKinley, a British Crown lawyer, in a gripping courtroom drama based on the historic 1919 massacre.
In a recent interview with News18 Showsha, Madhavan confessed that he was extremely nervous about how the audience would accept their portrayal. “I was sh**ting bricks when I was doing 3 Idiots as I was 40 years old at that time. Oh my god! It’s a miracle that we passed off as college students,” he said.
Reality Versus Perception on Set
What helped ease their anxiety was an unexpected confidence boost during the shoot at IIM Bangalore. Madhavan recalled how the real students on campus appeared significantly older. “But the funny part was when we went to the college and got into our attires, we were looking younger than the actual students there,” he said, adding that many students were either "bald or had grey hair". “We had to ask them if they’re students or professors. When they said that they’re students, we were like, ‘Achchi baat hai, bhai! Now we feel much younger.’”
Aamir Khan had also voiced similar apprehensions during his appearance on The Great Indian Kapil Show. He admitted he initially refused the role, fearing audiences would not accept a 44-year-old man playing a teenager. “I wasn’t even doing 3 Idiots because I thought the public would laugh at me,” he said, revealing he had asked director Rajkumar Hirani to cast younger actors.
Changing Perspectives in Film Casting
Reflecting on the experience years later, Madhavan said the discomfort of playing much younger characters has led him to avoid such roles in the future. “To romance a 28-year-old girl and to believe that both the characters is hum-umar ke log is a bit too much for everybody,” he stated in the same interview, highlighting his preference for more age-appropriate casting now.
His upcoming film Aap Jaisa Koi, a romantic drama with Fatima Sana Shaikh, explores a relationship between a 48-year-old Sanskrit professor and a 28-year-old French professor. Madhavan emphasized that the film handles the dynamics of such a relationship thoughtfully, questioning whether such love is viable or justified.
He noted that Hollywood has also begun steering away from unrealistic age portrayals. “Even Hollywood doesn’t accept that anymore. There’s a complete disregard for two romantically involved characters with a big age difference,” he said.
Career Choices and Changing Trends
Madhavan has consistently aimed to work on content-driven films. He admired how Aamir Khan’s projects have strong narratives and shared that 3 Idiots was a turning point, with many fans telling him it changed their lives.
Currently, Madhavan is busy with De De Pyaar De 2, where he plays Rakul Preet Singh’s father, and will also be seen in Dhurandhar. His last appearance was in Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh, where he portrayed Neville McKinley, a British Crown lawyer, in a gripping courtroom drama based on the historic 1919 massacre.
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