R Madhavan, recently celebrated his 27th wedding anniversary with his wife the prizethe secret behind their once enduring marriage and why staying faithful was never a challenge for him despite working alongside some of the most beautiful actresses in the industry.In a 2015 interview with ETimes, Madhavan spoke candidly about his relationship with Sarita and acknowledged that she was his strongest pillar of support.
“I’m so lucky to have you in my life”
When asked what he loved most in the world, Madhavan had a clear answer.“My wife Sarita. She understands me completely, keeps me completely grounded and is my role in taking care of my son, my parents and my finances. She gives me all the freedom I want so much to be an effective actor. He’s used to my humor and silliness, and he’s not afraid to tell me how good or bad I am.To praise his role within the family, he added: “He never expresses how much he works for me and for the sake of the family, and he never expects credit for it. To my parents, he is more of a child than me and they love him. I am very lucky to have him in my life.”
“It’s an easy way to stay loyal”
Asked how he remained loyal to his wife in an industry where extramarital affairs are often discussed, Madhavan said that loyalty came naturally to him.“I think it’s an easy way to be loyal. There are other aspects of my life where I need to put my energies. Also, I think being loyal is a family trait.”The actor then shared an anecdote about his family values.“My whole family remained so loyal to Jamsetji Tata until the end of their lives that we actually had a picture of him with all the Gods in the mala. So, frankly, I’ll have to go out of my way to be disloyal.”
“I am that Darpok Madrasi middle class man”
Madhavan also admitted that while he appreciated beauty, he always preferred to return home to his wife.“At the end of the day, I’m that darpo Madrasi middle-class man and although I’m extremely attracted to attractive girls, at the end of the day, I’m faced with making excuses as to why I’m not in the mood to go home and caress my wife.”She revealed that transparency had been a part of their relationship from the very beginning.“From the beginning of our relationship, he didn’t even have to ask, my cell phone was always with him and my accounts were always with him.”
“I didn’t want to test myself”
The actress also recalled a piece of advice from filmmaker Mani Ratnam, who stayed with her throughout her marriage.“Mani Ratnam gave me a piece of advice about not testing relationships. He said, ‘When something good happens with a relationship, don’t keep testing it to see how much he loves you.’ Just leave it.’ Sometimes trying is what ruins everything.’Madhavan admitted that he took practical steps to avoid the temptation, especially after becoming a star.“So when I became a Tamil star and was following this crazy girl, I was the first to announce that I was married, even though she advised me against it. I would open all the fan mails of my girls with Sarita. I would insist on taking her to any exotic outdoor shoot because I wanted to know that I’m unfaithful, but I didn’t want to test myself.”He added: “After a while, it became a habit and it worked for me. And I think he also likes that I’m organized, that I don’t mince words and that he doesn’t have to guess what I’m trying to imply by what I say or do.”Madhavan married Sarita on 6 June 1999. The couple shares a son, Vedaant Madhavan, and remains one of the most enduring couples in the entertainment industry.
