He chooses his films carefully and makes an impact with each new release. R. Madhavan is all set to reprise his role as Manu in Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Excerpts from an interview:

Tanu Weds Manu Returns is different from most sequels for it picks up from where the previous film has left. Did you find it tough to recreate the same character?

I don’t think you’ve ever seen a sequel where the story starts exactly where it was left. This is a sequel in the true sense of the word because the story starts exactly four years into the couple’s marriage.

The other amazing thing is everybody is true to their character from the original; the same people living the same life, except it’s four years from the wedding. For me, it was tougher because when I did the first, I had no inkling there might be a sequel. I would have been mentally prepared. This was like a bolt from the blue!

Again, it became more challenging to keep it real when there was a double role to deal with. When you go into the realm of a double role, you have to take it to another level to make it believable.

It was only when I started shooting for the film I began to realise that I had to be Manu not just with one person (Tanu), but also with Datto. On top of that, Manu has minimum dialogues. I needed to fill the screenplay gaps with expressions. The director, Anand L. Rai, prepared me for this. It is tough to stay real under circumstances like these. So I would say this is probably the toughest role of my life.

I think Anand Rai is one of the few brilliant directors we have. In the sequel’s trailer, you will notice the beauty of consistency being maintained. We’ve actually shot in the same lane where the first film was shot. The naked kid running on the street and announcing the arrival of Tanu is the same boy. Such details rarely get noticed. Sequels face the risk of being constantly compared to the first film. So we were sceptical about how the trailer would be received. Now that the trailer has been liked, there is a lot of pressure for the film to do well.

You’ve worked with Kangana for the second time. She is now recognised as one of our best performers.

A little known fact is when Anand Rai narrated the story to me, the first thing I made him promise was he would narrate it to Kangana as well. In fact, he had paid an advance to another actor to play the lead. Kangana was on her way to the airport, and I called her and told her to meet him too. She said, ‘If you are saying that the script is good, then I will meet him.’

Kangana was brilliant in the first film. After Queen and her metamorphosis as a more serious actor, she is an absolute challenge to work with! I want to live up to that and perform as well.

What is the status of Saala Khadoos?

It’s a proper Hindi film which is also being shot in Tamil. We are being careful about the timing of its release. It was shot before Tanu Weds Manu Returns and Raju Hirani is editing it now. We didn’t want to release it before Tanu because that would mean a huge clash of images for the protagonists. We have let out a teaser on the Internet, and will be releasing the trailer after this film.

You are one of the few south Indian actors to have made a successful transition to Hindi films. You are also quite selective about the number of films you take up. Do you think that has worked in your favour?

I am actually from Bihar. I am a south Indian; so I speak Tamil. I don’t think these things help an actor to get accepted. Backgrounds aren’t that important.

People from the South like Kamal sir and Rajini sir came here and did very well in their time. I have just been lucky that in my time, I am able to convince people that I am a north Indian as I have acted in Hindi television before. My selective approach is not to safeguard a south Indian identity. I think it is simply because I am trying to catch up with this generation which is moving ahead so fast and makes you redundant quite quickly. I have been acting for 15 years and have done only 11 films!

Recently, I went to Kangana’s school and 15-year-old girls taking videos of me said, ‘Maddy, you’re so hot!’ That’s frightening and somewhat unreal for a 45-year-old actor, right? And that makes me feel even more stressed when I have to select a script. So being selective is because I am more of a coward than those actors who have the strength and ability to do a film on a lark.