In an industry where most star kids tend to follow their parents into acting, R Madhavan's son Vedant Madhavan has carved out a path of his own. At 20, Vedant is a professional competitive freestyle swimmer who has represented India at the international level and brought home several medals.
The Call That Changed Everything
In a recent conversation, the actor opened up about his family life, the way he and his wife have raised their son, and one crucial decision taken during the pandemic. According to Madhavan, the most important and difficult step that ultimately protected his son's swimming career was taken — at exactly the right moment — by his wife, Sarita Birje.
In an earlier interview with 'The Hindu', Madhavan revealed that the entire family had to relocate to Dubai during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep Vedant's career alive. He acknowledged that the decision was Sarita's, and that it proved to be the single most significant call made at the right time for their family.
When India Shut Down and the Worry Set In
Madhavan recalled that during the pandemic, swimming pools across India — especially in Mumbai — were completely shut. This was precisely the phase when Vedant was going through his teenage 'growth spurt', the most important window of his physical development, which left both Madhavan and Sarita deeply anxious.
"This decision was taken at exactly the right time," the actor said. "If Vedant had not found a pool to train in during that period, his international swimming career could have ended right there."
He also pointed out that at the same time, countries like Germany, France and China had reopened their pools as quarantine zones for their athletes — allowing sportspersons there to break world records even through the COVID period. In that environment, skipping training simply was not an option for Vedant.
The Sudden Shift to Dubai
The moment they learned that Dubai had reopened its swimming pools under strict rules, Sarita wasted no time — she packed up and moved to Dubai with Vedant. Madhavan followed her there a little later. The Indian swimming team happened to be training there as well, and after the move, Vedant's performance showed a dramatic improvement.
'I'd Give Myself Only 6 Out of 10'
Even though he has been praised around the world as a father, Madhavan refuses to call himself a perfect parent. Assessing himself, he said, "I would give myself only 6 out of 10. As a father, there are many things I am unable to do because of how busy my profession keeps me. My wife Sarita has been far more directly involved in the day-to-day work than I have."
Keeping a Star Kid Grounded
Madhavan also admits that, being a star kid, Vedant gets far more recognition than ordinary athletes do. That is exactly why he and Sarita constantly make sure their son stays grounded and does not mistake his early success for the final destination.
He touched on the same issue on Ranveer Allahbadia's podcast. "I am not undermining his hard work and his medals — he has sweated a great deal for them. But being a celebrity kid is not easy," he had said. "He gets far more attention than his friends, some of whom may have achieved even bigger success at this very age. So we try to make sure that other talented athletes are promoted alongside Vedant."
A Relationship Years in the Making
For the record, Madhavan and Sarita Birje married in 1999, after having been in a relationship for around eight years before the wedding. Their son Vedant was born in 2005. Today, he is counted among the country's rising swimmers and continues to represent India on the global stage.
