4 min readKochiMay 18, 2026 08:58 PM IST
R Madhavan is no longer renowned solely as a phenomenal actor-director; he is also known as the father of Vedaant Madhavan, a freestyle swimmer who has won many medals worldwide. While Madhavan has never missed a chance to celebrate his son in public and share details regarding Vedaant’s training and preparation methods, the actor-director once talked in detail about his parenting style and how he and his wife, Sarita Birje, relocated to Dubai during the Covid-induced lockdown to support their son’s swimming aspirations.
Why Madhavan and family moved to Dubai
“It was an essential decision taken at the right moment. Vedaant was going through his growth spurt as a teenager, and not having a pool to swim would have meant the end of his international swimming career,” he shared during a 2025 interview with The Hindu.
Recalling that all the pools in Mumbai and across the country were closed at that time in response to Covid-19, Madhavan noted that he and Sarita were “hassled,” since governments in other countries were reopening public pools to swimmers so that training wouldn’t be affected.
“Countries like Germany, France and China had opened up their swimming pools and cordoned them off, making them Covid-free zones. They were asking the students to stay there for months and train. Some of them broke the world records during this period. It was something Vedaant couldn’t afford to miss out on,” he pointed out, adding that’s how they decided to move to Dubai upon learning that the city had resumed conducting classes under strict supervision.
Also Read | Madhavan says he refused son Vedaant’s request to ‘spend quality time’: ‘I’m not a cosmetic dad’
Madhavan rates himself 6/10 as a parent
Mentioning that Sarita had left first with Vedaant, Madhavan shared that he joined them shortly after. Calling it a “good decision” because his son “excelled after that,” the actor noted that the Indian team was also training there back then.
When asked how he would rate himself as a parent, Madhavan was realistic and gave himself a 6/10. “There are things that I would want to do as a father which I’m unable to because of my profession. My wife is a much more hands-on parent than I am. I do the philosophical and guidance part… telling Vedaant what has to be done. However, at the same time, we are also very nervous because he’s attained recognition to an extent that may be disproportionate to his achievements to date, and that too at such a young age,” he noted.
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Elaborating on it further, the actor-director added, “I’m not worried about whether he’ll make it bigger or not. I’m more worried about whether he has the smartness to understand that this recognition will soon fade, and one has to take that as a passing phase, and earn all the other accolades that he has in mind, thus making his own name.”
Aside from winning four gold medals and three silver medals at the 48th Junior National Aquatics Championships, Vedaant also clinched five gold medals for India at the Malaysian Open last year.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only, highlighting personal parenting experiences and family decisions. While it touches upon training routines and relocation during a public health situation, it does not constitute professional career, athletic, or medical advice.
