Actor R Madhavan’s son, Vedaant, has been making waves in the Indian as well as global swimming circuits for a while now with his accomplishments. While the actor is a proud parent, he feels his son is getting a lot more attention than he deserves.

“I’m very happy with Vedaant’s success, but he’s getting a lot more attention than he actually deserves. He has just won a few competitions internationally. There are better students than him in his age group in India. They need to be celebrated as well,” Madhavan tells us.

A national-level swimmer, Vedaant has several medals to his name. The 16-year-old won gold in the 1500m freestyle event at the 48th Junior National Aquatic Championships 2022 and broke the national junior record. He also clinched silver at the Danish Open earlier this year. But, Madhavan says, even his son knows that the extra attention on him is because of his showbiz connection.

“Both my son and I know that he gets this sort of attention because he is my son. Having said that, right now, he is putting his head down, working and training hard, focusing on his meals [as an athlete], and we are doing our best to make sure we support him,” says the actor, 52, who shifted base from India to Dubai on account of his son’s training and preparation.

He adds, “If he (Vedaant) is able to provide joy in any manner, that’s great. But, I don’t want that recognition and the fame to be associated with my success. He needs to work hard. He still has a long way to go.”

In fact, the actor, who was last seen in Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, which also marked his debut as a director and writer, works extra hard to ensure his son stays connected to reality in the midst of all the recognition. “I have had the good fortune of having my brush with fame, and I know the pitfalls of it as well. As a father and as a son he and I will make mistakes. I’m sure we will give each other a lot of angst, anger and heartburn, but that is a part of being a family,” he says, adding, “But at least we won’t make the same mistakes. I can share my experiences with Vedaant.”