15 years of ‘Rang De Basanti’: Here’s why R Madhavan agreed to do a ‘minuscule’ role in the movie

'Rang De Bassanti' was a massive hit at the box office

There’s no denying the fact that the critically-acclaimed movie Rang De Basanti, which released on this day in 2006, was a gamechanger for director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. The blockbuster hit the right notes with its hard-hitting message and political undertones, redefining the tenets of commercial Hindi cinema.

While almost everyone is aware of the response to the film, not many might be aware of the reason behind R Madhavan’s decision to essay a ‘minuscule’ role in Rang De Basanti.

In an interview given to Rediff a few months after the film’s release, ‘Maddy’ had said that he took up the role as he felt that Rang De Basanti would prove to be a ‘rocking’ movie. He had revealed that sections of the media had reservations about him doing the film as they felt it would not do justice to the Kollywood star's reel image. Madhavan added that these perceptions changed after the the flick hit the screens.

“Many asked me, 'You are a star in Tamil cinema so why are you doing a small role in an Aamir Khan film?' And the whole thing changed once the film released. It's nice to know your convictions are right,” he had said.

Madhavan essayed the role of a fighter pilot in Rang De Basanti, impressing fans despite the limited screen time. Many feel, he was the ‘real hero’ of the film as the cruel fate of his character proved to be the turning point of the biggie.

Rang De Basanti revolved around the need to fight corruption while challenging those in power. It had a stellar cast headlined by Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi, Tamil actor Siddharth, Soha Ali Khan and Alice ‘Sue’ Patten. The film had several impressive songs with the emotional Luka Chuppi and the funky Paatshaala being the pick of the lot.

Coming to the present, Madhavan remains a force to be reckoned with despite the emergence of younger stars. He was last seen in the well-received movie Maara, which released directly on Amazon Prime Video a few weeks ago. The film featured Shraddha Srinath as the leading lady and marked her second collaboration with the pan-India actor. The two had previously teamed up for the mass hit Vikram Vedha.

Madhavan has the eagerly-awaited movie Rocketry, which revolves around the life of noted aerospace engineer Nambi Narayanan, in his kitty. The cast of the film includes Simran, Rajit Kapur and Scottish actor Ron Donachie.

Aamir, on the other hand, will next be seen in Lal Singh Chaddha. The film, an adaptation of the popular movie Forrest Gump, is likely to hit the theatres this year.