Happy Birthday, R Madhavan. In Our Dil Mein@ 49

Actor R Madhavan is one of the most accomplished actors in Bollywood. As Madhavan turns 49, we take a look at his professional journey so far.

Madhavan was born to management executive Ranganathan and bank manager Saroja in 1970. He also has a younger sister who lives in the United Kingdom. Madhavan grew up in Bihar and later studied in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. He spent a year in Alberta as part of an exchange programme.

Young Madhavan also aspired to join the Army after making a trip to England as an NCC cadet.

But a military career was not to be and he turned to acting. Madhavan's very first attempt to break into the movies didn't turn out so well - he failed the screen test for Mani Ratnam's Iruvar. The silver screen's loss was television's gain, with roles in Banegi Apni Baat and Tol Mol Ke Bol.

Commercials and small screen appearances aside, Madhavan also bagged roles in various movies like Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin, Inferno and Shanti Shanti Shanti. But his big break came with the director who rejected him the first time round - Mani Ratnam cast him in Alaipayuthey (2000) which was a hit and Madhavan's fledgling film career took off.

His next two movies, Minnale and Dumm Dumm Dumm, set the cash registers ringing and Madhavan was well on his way to being a true blue matinee idol.

His next releases, Tamil movie Parthale Paravasam and the Bollywood remake of Minnale - Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein - flopped. However, he did score Best Debut trophies at the Zee Cine Awards and the Star Screen Awards for the film.

His third movie with Mani Ratnam was Kannathil Muthamittal, in which he played the father of an adopted child. It was a huge commercial hit and Madhavan's first critical success, scooping up six National Awards.

Madhavan turned action jackson with Run, which worked very well. But though he was an acknowledged hitmaker down South, legitimate Bollywood glory seemed far out of his reach as his second film, Dil Vil Pyar Vyar, sank without a trace at the box office.

Back home, Madhavan continued his dream run as a critics' darling with his next roles - a young frustrated filmmaker in Anbe Sivam, a Brahmin cook in Nala Damayanthi and a budding cricketer in Priyamana Thozhi.

Madhavan was in good company in Aayutha Ezhuthu. Directed, once again, by Mani Ratnam, the film also co-starred Suriya, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, Esha Deol and Trisha Krishnan.

Undeterred by Bollywood's lukewarm reception of his earlier movies, Madhavan tried a third time with comedy Ramji Londonwaley, a retelling of the Nala Damayanthi story. But there were no surprises at the box office this time either - the movie tanked.

Madhavan scored a role in Rang De Basanti, co-starring Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor and Soha Ali Khan. This time, fortune favoured perseverance and there was, finally, a Madhavan-shaped dent in Bollywood.

Down South, he could do no wrong at the box office - Thambi and Rendu were blockbuster hits.

In 2007, Madhavan appeared in Mani Ratnam's Hindi production Guru, also starring Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vidya Balan. Critically and commercially, Guru was in the green.

His next few movies - Delhii Heights, Aarya, That Four-Letter Word, Evano Oruvan, Vaazhthugal, Mumbai Meri Jaan, Tipu Kanan Tipu Kiri, Yavarum Nalam and Sikandar - earned mixed responses but kept his career afloat in the film industry.

In 2009, came his star making role in Rajkumar Hirani's 3 Idiots, once again with Aamir Khan and Sharman Joshi.

Between the critical acceptance of Telugu film Om Shanti and failure of Hindi film Teen Patti, 2010 was again a mixed year for Madhvan.

Bollywood smiled with Madhavan whose unlikely love story, as the calm and collected Manu Sharma, with wild child Tanu Trivedi in Aanand L Rai's Tanu Weds Manu struck a chord with many.

In 2012, Madhavan's Vettai was a critical and commercial success, while Bollywood outing Jodi Breakers tanked at the box office. Due to an injury while shooting for Vettai, Madhavan took a sabbatical for a year. During this time, his delayed film from 1997, titled Akeli and Rituparno Ghosh's Sunglass (Taak Jhaank). His performance was highly appreciated in both films.

In 2015, Madhavan reprised his role of Manu Sharma in Tanu Weds Manu Returns and the film was a super hit. Madhavan was next seen in Tamil film Irudhi Suttru, which will also released in Hindi as Saala Khadoos.

Off screen, Madhavan has led a blameless life - he married air hostess Sarita Birje in 1999 and the couple have a son.

Madhavan is also heavily involved in social causes, among them People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In 2006, he was voted 'the cutest male vegetarian" by PETA.

In 2017, he featured in the Tamil thriller Vikram Vedha and the comedy drama Magalir Mattum.

On the work front. Madhavan was last seen in the 2018 Telugu film Savyasachi. Madahavan's next project is Rocketry: The Nambi Effect.

We wish Madhavan a very happy birthday.