While many star kids turn to the entertainment industry, R Madhavan and Sarita Birje’s son, Vedaant Madhavan, carved a completely different path for himself. The 20-year-old has made a name for himself as a competitive freestyle swimmer, representing India at various international events and winning several medals along the way.To support his sporting ambitions, Madhavan and his family made a major life change during the Covid-19 pandemic, relocating to Dubai so that Vedaant could continue training when swimming facilities in India were closed. Reflecting on that phase, the actor credited his wife for taking the crucial decision at the right time.In an earlier interview with The Hindu, he said, “It was a vital decision taken at the right time as Vedaant was going through his growth spurt during his teenage years. Not having a pool to swim in would be the end of his international swimming career. So Sarita and I were very upset that all the swimming pools in Bombay, even India, were closed.’At that time, Vedaant won a silver medal for India in the Asian Age Group Swimming Championships. Madhavan explained that being in India during the pandemic could seriously hamper his son’s progress.“At the same time, countries like Germany, France and China opened swimming pools, quarantined them and made them Covid-free zones. Students were being asked to stay together and train for months. Some broke world records during the Covid era. It was something Vedaant couldn’t miss.”The actor revealed that Dubai emerged as the ideal solution.“So when we found out that Dubai was open for swimming and people were being given under strict surveillance. Sarita got up and went. I continued, and it was a good decision because Vedaant did brilliantly afterwards. The Indian team was also training there.’Despite being widely praised for supporting his son’s dreams, Madhavan once rated himself only six out of ten as a parent. He admits that his demanding profession often prevents him from participating as much as he would like.“I think 6 out of 10. There are things I want to do as a father, but because of my profession I can’t. And, my wife is a much more hands-on parent than I am. I do the philosophical and guiding part of telling Vedaant what to do. But at the same time, we are both very nervous because he has received disproportionate recognition for his achievements so far and at a much younger age,” he said.Madhavan also said that he and Sarita are focused on ensuring that Vedaant remains committed to his long-term goals, rather than the distractions that come with being a celebrity child.“So I’m not worried about whether he will make it bigger or not, I’m more worried about whether he has the ability to understand that this recognition will soon disappear. That should be taken as a phase of the past and he should get all the other recognitions he has in mind and then make a name for himself,” he concluded.The actor also spoke about the additional spotlight that comes with having Vedaant as his son. In an appearance on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, Madhavan admitted that his son’s achievements often get more visibility because of his fame.“Yes, I will not take away what he has achieved. He has done whatever it takes to get the medals he has achieved. It is not easy to be the child of a celebrity. He will get more attention than most of his friends who would have achieved more success at the same age as Vedaant. So we do our best to try to promote the best in the other country. The child of the actor who managed to create a national record,” he stated.R Madhavan and Sarita Birje got married in 1999 after dating for almost eight years. The couple welcomed their son, Vedaant, in 2005, six years into their marriage.
