R Madhavan On The Stalking Criticism In Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein

Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein was released in theatres, on October 19, 2001. The film had R Madhavan, Dia Mirza, and Saif Ali Khan in the lead.

Though the film did not perform well at the box office, it now enjoys a cult status amongst fans. The film revolved around R Madhavan's character Maddy lying to Dia Mirza's character Reena, and stalking her.

Reacting to the criticism that the whole stalking element in the film garnered, R Madhavan said, "Main inn sab baaton se bilkul sehmati nahi rakhta. Ye green flag, blue flag ye sab cheezein nikkamme logon ka nikkamma kaam hai."

He added, "Mera maanna hai ki ek gentleman hona zaroori hai. Bachpan se hume sikhaya gaya hai ki ladies se kaise baat ki jaaye, kaise unhe approach kiya jaaye, aur ye hamesha hamari sanskriti ka ek hissa raha hai. Badmaash toh hote hi hain."

The actor told Mashable India, "I ask you, those who say it's problematic, how would we have met a girl in Mumbai back then if we truly loved her and wanted to meet her with respect?"

He further revealed that those who object to the scenes in question are judging the film using a "Western yardstick."

The Shaitaan actor further added on the importance of being a gentleman since childhood. He spoke about how he was taught to be respectful to women, and how to approach them.

R Madhavan's last release was Hisaab Barabar on Zee5, on January 24, 2025. The film also features Neil Nitin Mukesh and Kirti Kulhari in key roles.