Actor Madhavan, on Tuesday, posted the most adorable birthday greeting for his wife Sarita Birje on his Instagram profile. The 49-year-old actor posted a selfie with wife Sarita and wrote, "I just hope to keep you smiling even brighter for the rest of your life, my love. Wish you a long happy healthy and wonderful life for all our sake too... We are blessed. Happiest Birthday Sarita." (sic.)
Madhavan married his long-time love interest, Sarita Birje, in 1999 – after 8 years of dating. In fact, before Madhavan stole the hearts of millions, it was Saritha who Madhavan chose to lend his heart to. Well, in an age of fleeting romances, Madhavan and Sarita's 28 years of togetherness show us true love.
The classes that led to dating
Madhavan's family was settled in Maharashtra and he graduated in Electronics Engineering. He later joined the National Cadet Corps and was keen to join the army. But unfortunately, he was found ineligible since he did not meet the age criteria – missing out by a mere six months. His parents then insisted him to study Management and thus he started teaching courses in public speaking. “I was taking a personality development class in Kolhapur when I first met Sarita. She was aspiring for a job in an airliner and attended my classes. When she finally bagged the CAT, she thought it was in part, due to my classes and took me to a ‘thank you’ dinner. That’s how it started,” he said in an interview.
That date turned into many others as their romance bloomed and their love for each other stayed steady for eight long years.
The wedding before the 'star growth'
“I was a dark man and thought it was an opportunity. Didn't know if I would ever get married so I grabbed on to the opportunity and married her," he had told PTI in an interview. Madhavan, thus tied the knot before he made his name in the entertainment industry.
He was part of a few Hindi serials where he was seen playing small roles. His first Tamil movie came out post his wedding and the 2000 movie Alaipayuthey turned out to be a huge hit after which he never looked back.
Madhavan and Sarita were blessed with their son Vedant in August 2005.
Reel and real life difference
Madhavan always used to take Saritha with him on movie sets making her understand the situations and the whole scenario. “ I took Sarita everywhere I went. When Sarita sees me in a romantic scene, she knows the sentiments behind it are not real,” said Madhavan once. For the duo, the honesty in their relationship is the key.
“I often leave my phone behind when I go out, or hand it to Sarita if I am busy. She has the opportunity to go through the texts or calls, emphasising that I have nothing to hide. This builds her trust in me,” he said.
Sarita, later began assisting in designing his clothes for various movies. Sarita also takes care of the finances of Madhavan. He was quoted in one of his interviews, saying: “I am in charge of making the money, and she takes care of investment, keeping the home and planning our holidays. I refer to her on financial matters. I don’t ask her why or what went wrong that lead to any loss. We expect and allow each other to make mistakes.”
It's the same in the case of their 13-year-old son Vedaant, who depends a lot on his mother. No wonder, Madhavan's birthday post for wife reflects so much of warmth and love.
Happy birthday Saritha.
