R Madhavan has revealed that he was advised not to disclose his marriage to Sarita Birje before the release of Alaipayuthey because producers feared the film would flop, writes NDTV.
The actor recalled the incident during an interaction at the Indian School of Business. He said the 2000 Tamil film marked a major turning point in his career as his first leading role.
According to Madhavan, the publicity team told him to avoid discussing his marriage during the press conference. He had married Sarita six months before the film’s release.
“The publicity department came and told me, ‘Maddy, when you do the press conference, don’t talk about your marriage. We know you got married six months before the release of your film. Don’t talk to the media about your marriage because then the film will flop,’” he recalled.
Madhavan was uncomfortable with the advice and decided to speak to director Mani Ratnam about it. He explained that the publicity team wanted him to hide the truth about his marriage.
Ratnam, according to Madhavan, simply told him to do whatever he wanted.
“I think it was an insult to him that just because the hero is married, a Mani Ratnam film will flop. That is not the right picture,” Madhavan said.
His marital status became the first topic at the press conference anyway. Madhavan recalled that a journalist asked whether audiences would accept him as a romantic hero despite being married. Sarita was seated beside him at the time.
Madhavan said he refused to ignore his wife or pretend that she did not exist simply to protect his image as a romantic lead.
“I have come here as an actor and I am portraying a character. But I cannot ignore this woman who is beside me, whom I married, and pretend that she doesn’t exist just because of this. That is really humiliating,” he said.
The actor added that he was prepared to accept the possibility that he might not become a romantic hero if being honest about his marriage affected his career.
“I am really sorry if I don’t become a romantic hero. That is fine. But I want to say that I am willing to take that risk rather than disrespect my wife,” he said.
Madhavan said his response received an immediate positive reaction and challenged the belief that a married actor could not succeed as a romantic lead.
Alaipayuthey, directed by Mani Ratnam and co-starring Shalini, went on to become a major commercial and critical success. The film established Madhavan as a leading man and later became a cult classic in Tamil cinema.
The actor’s decision to remain open about his marriage ultimately did not hurt the film’s prospects. Instead, Alaipayuthey became an important milestone in his career and helped turn Madhavan into an overnight star.
