Madhavan reveals simple diet of his grandparents: ‘Ate rice’

Bollywood actor Madhavan has revealed that the secret to his grandparents’ remarkably long lives was not expensive supplements or complex fitness routines; it was simple, home-cooked Indian food. With both grandparents living into their early nineties, Madhavan’s account of their daily diet has sparked a wider conversation about traditional eating habits, the role of carbohydrates, and how modern lifestyles may be cutting our lives short.

What did R Madhavan’s grandparents eat every day?

In a 2024 appearance on the podcast 100 Year Life Project by ACKO, R Madhavan recalled his grandparents’ daily meals in detail: idli, sambar, and rasam pongal in the morning; rice in the afternoon; and rice with sabzi (vegetables) in the evening. He noted that their diet was completely free of the supplements widely promoted by today’s fitness community, yet they lived long and healthy lives. Madhavan also revealed a striking detail: his grandfather retained naturally black hair right until he passed away.In a separate interview with GQ, the ‘Dhurandhar’ actor made clear that he tries to follow a similar approach himself. He said, “Even when I’m on set, I take my chef along to cook simple meals like dal, sabzi and chawal – the kind my mom made. I also don’t get all the fuss around rice. My grandparents lived till the ripe old age of 92 and 93, and they ate rice three times a day.”

More about R Madhavan

On the work front, R Madhavan was last seen in Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’. The film has raked in over Rs 1800 crore at the global box office and has become the second highest-grossing Indian film ever. Led by Ranveer Singh, the film was released in cinemas on March 19, 2026.The actor has projects like ‘Alpha’, ‘Dahi Cheeni’, and ‘Tanu Weds Manu 3’ in the pipeline.