R Madhavan Praises Gen Z Son Vedaant’s Simple Lifestyle: '‘He Doesn’t Want To Buy A Car Or House’

Actor R Madhavan, who was recently seen in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar 2, has often been admired for the calm, grounded way in which he carries himself. Despite having delivered memorable performances across languages and formats, the actor has largely stayed away from unnecessary public glare. In a 2024 conversation with Ranveer Allahbadia, Madhavan had opened up about how much of that approach comes from his upbringing and middle-class conditioning.

During the interaction, the actor also spoke about parenting his son Vedaant, an accomplished swimmer, and the discomfort he feels when his child is turned into meme material or compared with other star kids.

R Madhavan On South Indian Upbringing

Speaking about humility being deeply embedded

in South Indian families, Madhavan said, “It’s just that you don’t start dwelling in your small achievements and accomplishments too much. They will be far wealthier than they ever show, and they will be far more accomplished than they ever behave. Showing off is not intrinsically a part of their life. I have grown up in Jamshedpur; the Tatas are like that, they are not even South Indian. I think the middle-class attitude is the best attitude for survival. You have transience of nature, and life keeps you humble; you have situational awareness, and you are open to seeing all the changes that will come your way. I think it’s very important.”

Madhavan also reflected on his childhood, admitting that while it was blessed in many ways, it came with its own share of challenges. He recalled how his father was clear that he did not want him to grow up with a sense of entitlement.

He shared, “I had the most blessed childhood; it had all its challenges and trauma. My dad was very sure that he didn’t want to make me grow up privileged. He spent the money at the right places. I was not great in studies and was always compared to other people who were studying for so many hours. I was called the ‘shaitaan’ of the society. Mothers used to tell their kids don’t play with Balaji which is my pet name, because he is not a good guy. Since I climbed trees, pet stray dogs, and all the conditioning they thought was not right. Being judged adds a lot of trauma to you as a child. But trauma is a big word; it’s overexposed and overexploited. Stress will always be there, and you really have to hug it.”

R Madhavan On Parenting Son Vedaant

Madhavan’s son Vedaant has made a name for himself as a swimmer, but being the child of a public figure has also brought him a different kind of attention. The actor admitted that he and his wife Sarita are aware of the memes made around their son and are not comfortable with them.

He said, “Yes, we are aware of all the memes made on my son. Sarita and I are not very pleased about it; we regret it because comparing a child to another child, at times, they don’t realize how much they hurt other people. Vedant gets compared to other kids in the industry; it is not something Sarita and I like, nor do we endorse it or acknowledge it. I am not going to take away from what Vedant has achieved. Being a celebrity’s child is not easy; he is going to get a lot more attention than most of his friends. I am aware of those memes, and it doesn’t make me feel pleased at all.”

Madhavan added that he and Sarita constantly remind Vedaant to stay aware of where he stands, instead of letting public attention cloud his perspective.

He further said, “Even for Vedant to consider himself worthy of all this attention is stupidity. This spot doesn’t see whose son you are, and he is not the best in the country. Thankfully, my son is wise enough to understand all that. Sarita and I also keep explaining that there are pitfalls. We consciously try to tell him where he stands.”

R Madhavan On Gen Z

The actor also spoke about parenting a Gen Z child and said that the younger generation surprises him with its clarity and patience.

He said, “They are far wiser than we ever were; they are not in a hurry. I am surprised at the frugal nature in which Gen Zs live. They don’t want to buy a car or houses, it is amazing how peaceful they look. His wisdom is far different from what we had as children.”

R Madhavan’s Work Front

On the work front, R Madhavan was seen in Kesari 2, De De Pyaar De 2 and Dhurandhar last year. In 2026, he appeared in Dhurandhar 2. According to a report in Sacnilk, Dhurandhar 2 has earned Rs 1782.15 crore worldwide so far and has emerged as the second-highest all-time grosser after Baahubali: The Conclusion.