I am very fond of Kangana: Madhavan

MUMBAI - Actor R. Madhavan really enjoyed working with National Award winning actress Kangana Ranaut in “Tanu Weds Manu”, so much so that the multi-lingual star admits he has become fond of her and would like to do more films with the pretty actress.

“I am very fond of Kangana and attracted to her. I feel she is an extremely competent actor, very professional and she has actively contributed to the role for the first time,” Madhavan told IANS.

“As an actor, I have never worked with a heroine who does that. They (other heroines) are happy doing what the script demands from them but Kangana is the one who was pushing the envelope. I hope I can do another film with Kangana, I really enjoyed working with her,” he said.

Madhavan rubbished a media report that said he was angry with Kangana as she was hogging the limelight in the film’s promotion.

“Unfortunately, it’s wrong news,” he said. “Kangana is shooting in Bangkok, so she did her character’s (Tanu) promotion earlier,” he said.

“There is absolutely no reason to be upset with her and I am really missing her.”

Directed by Anand Rai, “Tanu Weds Manu” is set to hit theatres Feb 25. It is a romantic comedy, which shows how two seemingly opposite natured people fall in love.

“I don’t know why this romantic tag stuck with me for so long.

They (directors) want it, so I give them that. I am not going to fight it. This is a different kind of romantic story. It’s not a clich ‘hold my hand and get into a fight’ later on kind of story. It’s very real and I don’t remember if I have seen such a romantic film ever,” said Madhavan, who plays the role of Manu in the film.

About the film, Madhavan said: “Manu is brought up in a small town in a middle class family, very happy with whatever his parents have in mind for him, no rebellious quality unnecessarily. He goes to London, spends eight to nine years and comes back with his tradition intact, like most Indian guys, who go from a small town, do.

“What happens is you forget that in the span of time of your staying abroad, your town has changed-McDonalds, MTV, all have come in and people are having flings for the sake of it and suddenly there is a complete mismatch in the opposite direction.

“You are an Indian, she is westernized, you are a conformist, she is rebellious and there is a mismatch. But love has its own course.”

The character is semantic to most of the foreign-returned small town guys, said Madhavan. “It rarely happens that one who goes abroad, returns with a foreigner wife or girlfriend, smoking and speaking with an accent. Ninety percent

come back being more Indian than they were.”

The reigning star of the south is eager to offer varied shades of characters to his Hindi audience.

“In the south, I have done some really dynamic characters, really brutal and masculine ones. Unfortunately, the Hindi guys haven’t seen that angry guy in me as yet. So if a script like that comes along, I would really love to do (the role of) an angry young man now,” said Madhavan.

“I think I am competent in comedy. Even ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ is comical but it has no comedy, it’s humorous. But I would love to do a comedy film. I just did a hard-core comedy film in Tamil, which did very well,” said Madhavan.

The actor revealed that he has signed two more Hindi films but refrained from giving any details.