R Madhavan's Parenting Lesson For Son Vedaant Goes Viral: 'My Cook Had To Work A Year...'

R Madhavan has revealed the parenting lesson that helped keep son Vedaant grounded despite growing up in a successful film family. Speaking on Radhika Gupta's 100 Year Life Project by ACKO, the actor explained why gratitude mattered more than expensive gifts. Madhavan said, "One of the most important skills a child should have is the attitude of gratitude. Although we came from a very middle-class background, I was able to afford everything Vedant wanted because of the kind of success God bestowed upon me. But I also realised that came with its own set of challenges. I realised there were two things I needed to teach Vedant. One was the attitude of gratitude. It's very important for children to know that they are privileged because somebody else has worked their backside off to give them this lifestyle."

Explaining the reality check he gave his son, R Madhavan said, "Sometimes I would tell him the salary of my cook and say, 'Do you know what this toy you've been gifted costs? This man would have to work an entire year, living in that kitchen, to afford even a part of it.' That struck Vedant a lot." The actor added, "The second thing I made sure Vedant did was acknowledge everyone, the liftman, the guard, the drivers, the ayahs. I told him not to address them casually but respectfully, as didis and bhaiyas. It is not just about good manners. It's about situational awareness. I wanted my child to be aware of where he is, who he's dealing with, and to greet people who may not have as much money."

The interview gained popularity among social media users within a few hours of its release as many termed it as practical and useful. 

On the professional front, Vedaant Madhavan has been quite successful as he won medals in Malaysian Open, Danish Open, Latvia Open and Thailand Open competitions. He also represented India in several international swimming competitions and continues to chase his Olympic dream. In the meantime, R Madhavan made his recent appearance in Dhurandhar and has got his next release dates fixed for movies titled GDN, Adhirshtasaali and Circle.