Actor R. Madhavan has admitted that his Bollywood debut film Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (RHTDM) included elements of toxic masculinity.
Madhavan entered the Hindi film industry 24 years ago with RHTDM.
Over time, the film became a cult classic, but his character “Maddy” has often faced criticism for portraying a dominant, controlling form of masculinity.
In his film Aap Jaisa Koi, R. Madhavan plays an older man who struggles to find love due to the deep-rooted patriarchal mindset in society.
Madhavan stated that if you look at the heroes of old Hindi films, almost every character had some flaw, because that’s how our culture has traditionally portrayed stories.
He added, “There’s hardly any Hindi film actor who hasn’t shown some form of toxic masculinity in at least one of their films. Don’t just look at RHTDM—go further back. In many films, the hero is shown slapping a woman or treating her poorly, and that’s exactly what toxic behavior is.
He said that it’s hard to name a single hero from old films who didn’t portray such behavior.
R. Madhavan emphasized that male characters should be understood in the context of the times in which they were created.
He explained that Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein was made during an era when mobile phones were not common, and there was no concept of social media.
Madhavan added, “If I saw a beautiful girl on a train back then, how could I tell her I liked her? Even if my intentions were pure, there was no way to communicate. If I kept a letter she gave me, in today’s world people would call it ‘creepy.’ We need to redefine what masculinity means.”
Speaking further about his new film Aap Jaisa Koi, he said, “In what other culture is a sister-in-law given the status of a mother? But in our society, it happens—and sometimes that upbringing turns a man’s feelings into something that appears ‘toxic’ in certain relationships.”
In conclusion, Madhavan said that every era has its own mindset, so we must view past male characters within the context of their time and not judge them too harshly by modern standards.
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