A Hobby Takes Wing

Actor R Madhavan flies high with a spot of aeromodelling when he isn't busy with his day job, shooting a film or two.

Sometimes dreams can't take flight because they are simply too costly. Sometimes it's not just about passion but also about the money which needs to be invested to nurture a hobby, a skill, an art. R Madhavan, popular actor, who has also forayed into production, has a similar story to narrate when he talks about his fascination for aeromodelling.

Actually this fascination with gizmos shouldn't come as a surprise to some of those who have followed this actor's rise in the midst of glitz, glamour and the arc lights. A qualified engineer to begin with, Madhavan worked his way into the film industry by first breaking into Indian television space as an actor when one of his students encouraged him to get into the field of acting. And while he climbed his way to the top, especially in the south Indian film industry, fame and success brought with it money "" something that finally helped Madhavan to give flight to his long-time passion for gizmos, mini-helicopters and planes.

"I have always been a gizmo freak but I could not afford this hobby when I was in school. Now I make planes for my son and I," he says. The cost of these gadgets ranges from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh, and Madhavan is making sure that he and his son can enjoy every bit of this hobby.

Interestingly, Madhavan has the film industry to thank when it comes to this off-hours activity. The actor says that he was intrigued by planes when he saw the way his friend, Arvind, also a cameraperson, used a helicopter to get some of his shots right. It's in his hobby room where Madhavan spends his leisure time and makes models of planes and helicopters: "Most of my equipment is purchased on my trips abroad. It becomes difficult for me to curtail myself from spending and I completely freak out on it."

What he's even more happier observing through this hobby is the concentration and excitement with which his little boy reacts to the models. "I think both my son and I are completely passionate about this hobby even though he's just two years old," he says.

For someone who once nurtured the dream of becoming a pilot, Madhavan, through this activity, is finding some means to give wings to his unfulfilled desires of manoeuvring a plane. "All the models that I make have parts which are similar to those of a real helicopter or a plane. The engines are powerful ones with 50 cc power. The only difference is that there is no pilot sitting inside a plane. It is operated by a remote," he explains.

Madhavan, who has a spate of films lined up, including Rituparno Ghosh's Sunglass, where he gives company to Jaya Bachchan and Konkona Sen Sharma, and Dombivali Fast, besides others, has been basking in the success of his recent south Indian film Aarya which is still running to packed houses in the south. It was a crucial victory especially as Aarya was released almost simultaneously with Rajnikant's blockbuster Sivaji. Besides Madhavan is also endorsing products in the south. So when does he have the time for aeromodelling? He says that he's choosy about his work and is particular about spending time with his family: "I find the time and though it may be difficult sometimes."

Madhavan now owns seven helicopters and nine airplanes. Their size varies from two-and-a-half to eight feet. "It takes time but once you see the end result, it's worth it. On an average the helicopters cost Rs 50-60,000, but the most expensive ones go up to Rs 1 lakh," he says.

And he's even found a way to hear ecstatic shouts from his son when the little one watches the planes fly. After Madhavan finishes making them he transports them to an airfield in Chennai. And the effort pays off when the little one looks at the sky, stares in delight and wonder at his father's creation that glides effortlessly in the sky. For both the father and his son it's actually a shared passion that's taking flight.