R Madhavan defends ‘problematic’ plot in ‘Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein’
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R Madhavan and Dia Mirza's film "Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein" failed to perform well at the box office upon its release in 2001, but over time, it gained a massive fan following. Initially, fans were drawn to the characters, but as the years passed, they began to recognise the problematic elements of the film.
The protagonist engages in lying and stalking the woman he loves and is ultimately rewarded for his actions. Recently, Madhavan addressed these issues, explaining that, at the time, stalking was considered the only way to pursue a woman.
In an interview with Mashable India, Madhavan expressed that he disagrees with movie critics who label "Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein's" theme as "problematic." He said, "I completely disagree with these views. You know, all those terms like green flag, blue flag—those are the concerns of useless people. I'm saying this because being a gentleman is important."
"We were always taught, from childhood, how to talk to women and how to approach them, and this has been a part of our culture. There will always be miscreants, but you can't judge us using Western standards."
The actor also posed an important question to those calling the film's plot 'problematic.' He asked, in that era of Mumbai, if a man genuinely loved a woman and wanted to approach her respectfully, how was he supposed to do so?
Madhavan explained, "Those calling it problematic are not from that generation and do not understand how things were back then. If you liked a girl and had no ill intentions, how were you supposed to act?" He added that anyone who crosses boundaries and harasses a girl definitely deserves to be punished.
However, he mentioned that his character, Madhav Shastri (Maddy), had no choice but to follow Dia's character. Madhavan summed up, "He was a simple, earnest lover."
The film "Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein", directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, was the Hindi remake of his Tamil film "Minnale". Produced by Vashu Bhagnani's Pooja Entertainment, it marked the Bollywood debuts of both Madhavan and Dia Mirza. The film also starred Saif Ali Khan.
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