He is an actor, director and producer, but R Madhavan is equally the hands-on father. He is often seen accompanying his son, Vedaant, to swimming events and championships, and has even drawn praise for the commitment he shows.

However, Madhavan begs to differ. “Everybody likes to romanticize it, but the truth of the matter is, it’s taken care of by my wife. I am there for moral support, the sport is handled by the swim mothers (those involved hands-on in prep and coaching). Anybody who knows what a swim mum is, you need to stay away from them. My wife is a very ardent one!” says the 52-year-old.

“As a family, of course, there are a lot of challenges. I am in Dubai half the time and the rest in other places. But, for me to say I’m making sacrifices is a little unfair. It’s the family that is making it. I do only a few films every year, so it’s no chip on my shoulder [to be there],” he quips.

But, he sure has a chip on the work front, thanks to the success of his debut directorial, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. “I was nervous, like any first-time director. It was the first time I did everything — produced it with my partners, directed it and acted in three languages. When I look back, I think, ‘What were you thinking?’ But, thanks to the audience and critics, I’ve become a little confident that when you believe in something enough, it manifests itself exactly the way you thought it would,” he wraps up.