At the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, actor R Madhavan opened up about the emotional journey of his iconic film ‘Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein’ (RHTDM), which has achieved cult status over the years.

The film, initially released in 2001, marked a significant milestone in Bollywood, both for R Madhavan and his co-star Dia Mirza, as it was their debut film. Directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, the romantic drama also starred Saif Ali Khan and was a remake of Menon’s Tamil film ‘Minnale’.

Speaking candidly to ANI, Madhavan shared how deeply hurt he was when the film flopped upon its release. Despite the immense effort he and the team had put in to make the movie a success, its initial box-office performance was a letdown.

“When it first released, it didn’t do well; it was a flop. I remember being heartbroken. I had gone to all the temples, made sure I left no stone unturned to make the film the way it was supposed to,” Madhavan said.

However, the actor expressed that fate had a different plan for the film. A quarter-century later, in August 2024, ‘Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein’ was re-released to mark its 25th anniversary, and to everyone’s surprise, it outperformed its original release in terms of earnings.

 

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“Little did I realize that fortune and fate had a big story for me,” Madhavan reflected, adding, “It was wonderful to get recognition for doing a film 25 years later.”

The soundtrack of the movie, with memorable tracks like ‘Sach Keh Raha Hai’, ‘Dil Ko Tumse’, and ‘Zara Zara’, continues to resonate with fans, solidifying the film’s place in Bollywood’s romantic history.

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Despite years of speculation around a potential sequel, Madhavan put the rumors to rest in 2020, confirming that there were no plans for a follow-up.

Apart from reminiscing about his early career, Madhavan also shared an intriguing observation about the role trains have played in his filmography. He noted that in several of his films where romance depiction was aboard a train, the movies were highly successful.

“Whenever I have done romance on the train, the films have done really good. ‘Alai Payuthey’ (my first film with Mani Ratnam), the original of ‘Saathiya’, and ‘Tanu Weds Manu’—wherever we had trains, the film has done well for us,” he added, with a smile.

Meanwhile, the ongoing IFFI 2024 has been a celebration of global cinema, featuring over 180 films from 81 countries. The festival, which began on November 20 and runs through November 28, also includes a special tribute to mark the 100th birth anniversaries of four iconic Indian cinema legends—actor-director Raj Kapoor, filmmaker Tapan Sinha, Telugu cinema star Akkineni Nageswara Rao, and legendary playback singer Mohammed Rafi.