The re-release of the 2001 Bollywood movie ‘Rehna Hain Tere Dil Mein’ – which enjoys a cult status – starring yesteryear chocolate hero R Madhavan and Miss Asia Pacific International 2000, Dia Mirza, unleashed a romantic hysteria among the younger generation this week. “I did have butterflies in my stomach once again,” Maddy (as Madhavan is fondly known) tells Hubert Vaz in an exclusive chat from London, on the sidelines of a shoot over the weekend. Excerpts:

Looking back at Rehna Hain Tere Dil Mein (RHTDM), why was it decided to re-release the film now, since it is just 23 years later, and not a milestone like 25 years?

Actually, this should be a question for the producers (Vashu Bhagnani). There seemed to be a nice ‘window of opportunity’ in the theatres with no major films releasing, so, they took a chance with the re-release. I didn’t expect this sort of an outcome but, I think, the best person to answer that would be Vashuji and his team.

What are your frank sentiments about the re-release – did you have any doubts or butterflies in your stomach, just as in 2001?

Release or re-release time are both the same and there is definitely butterflies in the stomach, though the stakes are not as high. I was very eagerly looking forward to how the audiences today will react to the film, so I did have butterflies in my stomach once again. Of course, this was a film that was released 23 years ago and it had not been a box-office success then, though it later on became an iconic film. But, what was surprising is the fact that the film is now available on YouTube, on multiple OTT channels and has been on television almost twice every week since the release. So, it has been viewed many times over, despite which I was really stunned to see the number of people who came to see the film on the first weekend and it is very good to know that some of the work you’ve done has stood the test of time for over two decades.

Looking back at your performance, do you now feel that some things could’ve been done better?

I don’t know why, but I hate all my performances on retrospect, especially if the film doesn’t do well. With RHTDM, I hated it because I thought I could’ve look better, I could’ve dressed better, I could’ve underplayed, may be. Like I did in my first film Alai Payuthey (Tamil, in 2000). But over a period of time, when the film got its cult status, I could see what people liked in the performance. Very strangely, I began to really like the free-flowing emotions and intensity of both, Madhav Shastry and Reena (the two lead characters) in the film. And, its only when my son and wife pointed out, the spirit of the character, and the way I had played it with gay abandon, is when I started wondering whether I still have it in me to do something like that again.

I would love to have that charm but, considering my age, I’m very restricted with having to choose a character like that but I can see why people loved Madhav Shastry – he was fire, he really was. And when college students took up mechanical engineering because of that, and gave up engineering because of 3 Idiots, I feel guilty for both. But it really feels good to be part of iconic films.

Did you already have the nickname ‘Maddy’ then or was it a gift by the movie, that stayed on till date? Do you love it or hate it?

Oh, my nick name has always been Mad or Maddy. That’s a name I got when I was living with cowboys in Canada, as an exchange student, in 1989. They couldn’t pronounce Madhavan, so it became Madhave and Madhaav, and finally Mad or Maddy. I’m really proud of that name, it has an endearance to it – people call me Maddy with a lot of love and so, I’m totally comfortable with it.

You were a silent lover in RHTDM as well as in Tanu Weds Manu – is it in any way close to the real personality of Madhavan?

I think both, Madhav Shastry (in RHTDM) and Manu (in Tanu Weds Manu), are an amalgamation of my real life character. I won’t say in its entirety, but a large part of their characters is very much me. It’s difficult to play those characters if you don’t have those traits inbuilt in you.

Would you say Student of the Year had similar overtones inspired by RHTDM?

Well, some bits of it do have similarities.

Since you had done the original Tamil movie (Minnale), was it an advantage doing the Hindi version – RHTDM – as you were conversant with the soul of the character?

Doing a remake is very difficult for me and I don’t really enjoy the process. And doing a remake of your own work is even more difficult and very actors have had the opportunity to understand what I’m saying. I doubt, I can even count that on one hand – actors who’ve remade their own films in a different language – may be Kamal Hassan Sir, at best. But, it’s a very creepy experience, you know. When you need your entire mental faculty at your disposal while you’re performing, one corner of your brain is thinking ‘are you doing it as well as the original or are you not being sincere enough?’ And that part of my brain I can use when I’m doing it for the first time freely. So many films, like Vikram Vedha and 3 Idiots and a couple of other films that were offered to me to be made in a different language and I refused politely, because I don’t think I have the ability to pull it off in today’s world, with the similar freedom I’d done the original with.

Looking back, do you think there was anything wrong with the storyline, which could’ve been changed?

No, I don’t think so. On retrospect, it’ unfair to comment on the story. I thought, it was a very convincing story and I wouldn’t have changed anything, with respect to the story as of now.

The re-release has been well received now, when the dynamics of cinema and cinema houses has changed drastically. How do you feel about that?

It’s very empowering, very flattering and absolutely a delight that the audiences in the theatres today are singing, dancing, whistling, sending reels from the theatre, pre-empting the dialogues and the phone number of the girl, and repeating the dialogues before I can say it. This is happening at the theatres and I’ve put up multiple stories on my Instagram.

To see the audience is so involved, is a blessing. I’ve never seen that for years. And the whistles, the laughter, the tears, people singing along…it’s like a party, it’s like going to a stadium full of fans from the same team. What is stunning for me, is not only are the grandmothers and the daughters coming (to see the film), but the grandchildren in their teens are sending me videos from the theatre, saying how much they loved the film and the dialogues. That was unexpected – it’s good to know that you have a newer generation of fan followers.

If Madhavan had set out to realise his dream in the current situation, do you think things would’ve worked out in his favour?

I’m sure of one thing – if I was sent out in the world today, I would definitely do things differently from the others, I would have the ability to think laterally, and I would have the courage to follow through with my instincts. And that would’ve definitely made me stand out. I do not know how successful I would’ve been, but being mundane and ordinary has always been a big fear for me.