R Madhavan has revealed why he declined to star in the Tamil remake of the blockbuster film 3 Idiots, saying he was uncomfortable with the director's vision and did not want to risk damaging the legacy of his beloved character.
The 56-year-old actor, who won widespread praise for playing Farhan Qureshi in Rajkumar Hirani's 2009 hit, opened up about his decision during a conversation with author Chetan Bhagat on YouTube.
Madhavan said reprising the same role carried the risk of complacency, which could have negatively affected his performance.
"Whatever good name I have earned for myself as Farhan in 3 Idiots, that will get erased and this will be remembered," he said.
The actor also revealed that filmmaker Shankar's approach to the remake raised concerns.
According to Madhavan, Shankar told him he wanted to make 3 Idiots as a "quickie" project before moving on to other films.
"That rang alarm bells in my head. You can't look at 3 Idiots as a quickie. That's not what the film is about," Madhavan explained.
He described Farhan as a deeply personal character, saying the role had become "a religion" for him and that he wanted to preserve its impact rather than recreate it.
Madhavan added that he carefully evaluates projects and pays close attention to how filmmakers communicate their vision before agreeing to work with them.
The actor is currently receiving praise for his performance as Ajay Sanyal in Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar.
Meanwhile, a sequel to Rajkumar Hirani's 3 Idiots is reportedly in development and is expected to explore the midlife struggles of its three central characters.
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