Script is the King: Rahul Madhav

With the exception of the stock market, the business of cinema is unpredictable and risky involving huge amounts at stake. It is impossible to guess which role or film would become a hit. While some films rely on the actors’ stardom, it is not an essential ingredient in the recipe of a film’s success.

Rahul Madhav has been walking the tightrope of playing good character roles in some hit films opposite A-listers along with playing the lead in a couple of upcoming films. He had played noticeable character roles in films like 100 Days of Love, Memories, 7th Day and Tamil film Thani Oruvan. In addition to this, he has also played the lead in films opposite Priya Mani and Meera Jasmine.

He has some interesting upcoming films that have him in prominent roles like the title role in Shyam which looks at friendships and relationships. There is also an untitled film which is a campus based story with an ensemble cast.

Also on the cards is Oxygen in which he plays a wildlife photographer with the National Geographic channel. Apparently choosing the right role is harder than what many believe. “As an actor, I feel more than emoting, the challenge is in choosing which script or team to say yes to. I do not differentiate between movies based on the budget. It is more about the content and the team. You do not need a big budget to make a good movie, as long as you have faith in the subject and the technicians are good. There are some good foreign movies that have been made on handycams and we have a lot of Malayalam movies that do not have gargantuan budgets but have good scripts and a great team who know what they are doing. I am also aware of the budgets of the films where I play the lead and I want my film to be viable to the producer.”

Rahul is also an actor who loves to experiment with his looks and characters. His role of an elderly man in Lissammayude Veedu is a far cry from the suave and young man in 100 Days of Love. “I love experimenting with roles. I’m a big fan of every actor I have worked with, be it Prithviraj, Dulquer, Mohanlal, Meera Jasmine, Priyamani, Jayam Ravi, Arvind Swamy or Nayanthara. Sharing screen space with these actors is a learning experience.” Before signing off, he quips, “You don’t choose the role that comes to you, it seeks you!”