I thought it was a scam: How a random street encounter in Bombay led Madhavan to acting

New DelhiUpdated: Jul 11, 2026 05:26 PM IST R Madhavan speaks about his journey. (Photo: Madhavan/Instagram)Today, R Madhavan is regarded as one of Indian cinema’s most versatile actors. But unlike many legendary stars whose journeys are defined by years of struggle and rejection, Madhavan’s story is one of self-belief, unwavering optimism and the courage to dream without limits. Long before he faced the camera, he had already envisioned himself becoming “rich and famous”—a dream he wrote down as a teenager and never stopped believing in. R Madhavan’s dream at 17 In an old conversation with Chetan Bhagat, Madhavan recalled writing his life’s ambition while he was in Class 12.“I had written in my ambitions that I want to become a jack of all trades and master of some in my 12th grade in Canada. I wrote 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. For Madhavan, dreaming big has always been non-negotiable. He believes people often limit themselves by being afraid of seeming unrealistic. “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. 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. How acting found Madhavan Interestingly, despite writing that ambition down as a teenager, Madhavan never actively pursued acting. At the time, he was working as a public speaking and communication skills trainer and earning well, with little reason to consider a career in films. But life had other plans.Story continues below this ad “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. 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. 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,” he recalled. That chance encounter changed the course of his life. Soon after, Madhavan landed the lead role in Mani Ratnam’s Alaipayuthey (2000), a romantic drama that became a massive critical and commercial success. The success of Alaipayuthey launched Madhavan into stardom, paving the way for a career spanning Tamil, Hindi and Telugu cinema. Looking back, the dream he wrote down as a teenager turned out to be remarkably prophetic.