My duty to support PM, CM: Madhavan on being called 'sanghi', Dhurandhar criticism

Actor R Madhavan reacted to being labelled a 'sanghi' and the criticism his film Dhurandhar received after a section of viewers called it "pro-government" and "propaganda". Speaking in an interview, the 56-year-old said he believes it is his duty to support the country's elected leaders and that he would never shy away from taking pride in India or portraying the country in a positive light.During an interview with Galatta Plus, when asked about being labelled a 'sanghi' in the comments section of his social media posts, Madhavan said, "I have never shared anything against any party or its leaders. If someone has done something good, I have amplified that."He said what people write in the comments on his posts has no bearing on what he thinks. "When a person has been elected to be a Chief Minister or Prime Minister, I think it’s my duty to support them. I read the comments, but it does not affect my decision-making. If someone is making me feel bad about that, then I want to question their intent," Madhavan said. The actor, who is now gearing up for the release of G.D.N., played Intelligence Bureau director Ajay Sanyal in Aditya Dhar's two-part Dhurandhar series. His role was widely seen as being loosely inspired by India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Poster of Dhurandhar featuring R Madhavan (Photo: IMDb) Madhavan also dismissed the political criticism surrounding Dhurandhar. In the same interview, he said he wanted to highlight the "good things about India" and saw nothing wrong with doing so. "Dhurandhar, as a film, is set in Pakistan. Whatever happens, good or bad, shows how it affects India. What kind of propaganda is that? I don’t understand. When it comes to criticising Nambi, how can I be honest in the story if I'm afraid of who he really is? If he’s going to the temple, I’ll show it. If GD Naidu is an atheist, I have to be true to the character. I’m not showing him praying. I’m an actor; my job is to portray what it is. And my personal opinion is, I just want to enhance all the good things about India. That cannot be a crime," he explained.His comments come months after Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge drew criticism from a section of social media users, who alleged that the films promoted hyper-nationalist propaganda and glorified the current political establishment. Released in December 2025 and March 2026, respectively, both films went on to become major box-office successes, grossing over Rs 1,000 crore worldwide each.Meanwhile, Madhavan is gearing up for the release of G.D.N., a biopic on pioneering inventor GD Naidu, often referred to as the "Edison of India". Directed by Krishnakumar Ramakumar, the film also stars Sathyaraj, Priyamani, Jayaram and Dushara Vijayan. It is scheduled to release in theatres on August 7. Madhavan plays GD Naidu, the self-taught engineer and entrepreneur from Coimbatore whose innovations left a lasting impact on Indian industry.- EndsPublished By: Sanjay Ponnappa CSPublished On: Aug 5, 2026 16:35 IST