‘Fall from grace is huge’: Madhavan explains why he aspires to be like Amitabh Bachchan | Bollywood News

3 min readHyderabadJul 26, 2026 12:33 PM An old interview of R Madhavan has resurfaced online, in which the actor named Amitabh Bachchan as the one person in the film industry who inspires him the most, saying the veteran actor’s ability to remain as relevant today as he was when he began his career is the quality he aspires to emulate.
“With no disrespect to anybody, but there is one gentleman that I can’t imagine being like and I want to be like, because he’s as relevant today as he was when he started off his career,” Madhavan said in the conversation with Film Companion, adding, “I think that’s the biggest blessing you can ask for in this industry, because the fall from grace is the biggest question you would have to handle.”
Madhavan, who has spoken publicly about his fear of becoming irrelevant and once took a four-year break from the industry to rediscover his hunger, said Amitabh Bachchan represents everything he hopes to become professionally. “The ability with which he has managed to do age-appropriate roles, the fact that he’s still giving young actors a run for their money, he’s maintained his own dignity and style. He is one man who inspires me greatly,” he said.
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Then came the line that stood out from everything else in the conversation. “I’m not prone to falling at people’s feet ever, except my parents. But I would with all my heart touch his feet because I’d really wish to be a fraction of what he can be,” Madhavan said.
What Madhavan admires is not Amitabh Bachchan’s stardom or his box office numbers, but the longevity that keeps the veteran actor popular. The ability to keep working, keep being relevant and keep finding roles that suit his age without ever looking like he is chasing something he has already lost. For Madhavan, who has spoken openly about his own fear of irrelevance and the cruise control phase he fell into in his early 40s, that quality is his new found goal.
When asked who inspires him most outside the industry, Madhavan turned to his parents. And here, the tone shifted from professional admiration to something far more personal.Story continues below this ad
“My dad and mom are great inspirations, simply because I’m an actor. I have all the trappings of a celebrity with me, and they have a sense of pride and dignity with which they live. My father would never want to skip a queue at the airport because he’s my parent. He will never think he can. I can’t buy him a car. My mother will not take jewellery. They’re very happy and content,” he said.
He paused, then added, “If at that age I’m able to live with that level of contentment, I would consider myself extremely successful.”