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‘No one does romance like Shah Rukh Khan’ admits R Madhavan but here’s why it’s getting difficult: ‘One needs a heroine of…’
R Madhavan opens up about the fading charm of mature love stories in Indian cinema, praising Shah Rukh Khan's romantic legacy while highlighting the industry's lack of age-appropriate roles for women.
R Madhavan is not holding back when it comes to sharing his thoughts about romance in Indian cinema. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the actor opened up about why romantic films today feel less impactful and why Shah Rukh Khan still remains the gold standard for love stories on screen.
Madhavan, known for his own charming romantic roles in films like Alaipayuthey and Tanu Weds Manu, praised Shah Rukh Khan’s unmatched ability to portray romance. “No one does romance like Shah Rukh,” he said, acknowledging the Bollywood superstar’s legacy with films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. But alongside that praise, Madhavan also raised an important point: there just aren’t enough women in the industry cast opposite actors like SRK who match him in age and presence.
“One needs a heroine of his age as well. That’s getting difficult to find,” Madhavan noted.
He went on to talk about the current state of romantic movies, especially in the age of streaming platforms. According to him, Indian cinema has fallen behind in creating compelling, mature love stories. “I don’t recall any romcom that has worked on OTT platforms either,” he said. “I know the Korean [dramas] work, but I don’t recall seeing any hardcore, Indian, romantic film. Let alone one that is age-appropriate for a 55-year-old.”
The actor feels that the older generation, including his own, brings a deeper, more lived-in understanding of love. “I think they’re the most romantic people in the world because this generation, my generation, knows how much importance to give our partners, because we’ve lived through so much,” he explained.
He believes that mature romance is a genre waiting to be tapped—but the problem lies with the writing. “It’s low-hanging fruit to be plucked in this genre, but we don’t have writers,” he said. Madhavan pointed to the 1997 Hollywood film As Good as It Gets as an example of how powerful and romantic age-appropriate stories can be. “Writers who can see films like As Good as It Gets as romantic stories. I can’t forget those dialogues!”
On the work front, Madhavan was last seen in the historical drama Kesari Chapter 2. Shah Rukh Khan, meanwhile, has been away from the screen since his 2023 release, Dunki, but is set to return with King.
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