‘During COVID, she kicked me out of the house’: R Madhavan on how wife Sarita pushed him back to work
R Madhavan recently shared a candid and humorous anecdote about how his wife Sarita played a key role in pushing him back into work during the pandemic. What began as a light-hearted nudge eventually became a turning point, helping the actor reassess his mindset, reset after a four-year break from acting, and return with renewed focus—especially towards projects that genuinely excited him, including a steady shift to OTT platforms.
‘Go out, do some work, earn money’
Speaking to Unfiltered Entertainment, Madhavan recalled how Sarita reacted to seeing him at home during the COVID-19 lockdown. He said, “My wife says you’ll never be able to get out of work — you do Tamil comedy, Tamil action, OTT, Hindi action, English OTT. I am surprised you are at home. During COVID in 2020, she kicked me out of the house and told me, ‘Go out, do some work, earn money.’”
A moment that made him pause
Beyond the humour, Madhavan said it was Sarita’s honest observation about his attitude towards work that truly made him stop and introspect. Recalling the conversation, he shared, “One day, my wife asked me, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ She said that you are going to work like you want to come back from it. That actually made a lot of sense.”
A four-year break that changed his outlook
Madhavan explained that stepping away from films for nearly four years helped him reset both personally and professionally. The break gave him clarity, allowing him to return with a renewed perspective and the freedom to choose projects that aligned with his interests rather than obligation.
On money, generosity and living within his means
Over the years, Madhavan has often spoken about how Sarita keeps him grounded, particularly when it comes to finances. In a 2023 interview with Just Too Filmy, the actor revealed her view of his spending habits. He said, “My wife thinks I am generous to a fault. And I am a fool. And I don’t know how to handle my money. She thinks I keep giving it away. I think I’m very particular about it, but she says not even from a remote corner are you particular about it. I spend what I have.”He added that while he may not be overly cautious, he ensures he stays within his limits. “I am not very careful about my spending but I always live within my means so if I desire to have a bigger car or better stuff… but if it doesn’t fit my budget, I will not buy it. I don’t have worldly possessions; that is the reflection of my stardom. But I do have the liberty that this stardom offers me and I enjoy it,” he said.
How Madhavan and Sarita’s story began
Madhavan and Sarita first met in the early 1990s when she joined his public speaking and personality development classes in Kolhapur. Recalling their first interaction in a 2011 interview with The Times of India, he had said, “She was aspiring for a job in an airliner and attended my classes. When she finally bagged the cat, she thought it was in part due to my classes and took me to a ‘thank you’ dinner. That’s how it started.” After dating for several years, the couple tied the knot on June 6, 1999, much before Madhavan rose to national prominence. They are parents to Vedaant Madhavan, who has since made a name for himself as an international swimmer.
