Madhavan was cast alongside Kamal Haasan in "Anbe Sivam" (2003), which told the story of an unexpected journey from Bhubaneswar to Chennai of two men who are polar opposites. Madhavan revealed his elation at working with an experienced actor like Kamal Haasan, while noting that a human drama film like "Anbe Sivam" was important for his career as an actor as it came after a successful masala film in "Run". Portraying a young frustrated filmmaker with capitalist beliefs who travels with a handicapped communist played by Kamal Haasan, Madhavan's performance was described as a "milestone in his career" and that "his portrayal will remain with the viewer for long" by a critic from The Hindu. The film opened in January 2003 to positive reviews, but became a surprise box-office failure. Post-release, the film has garnered belated critical acclaim from critics and television audiences and is considered as one of the "cult classics" of Tamil cinema. Film critic Baradwaj Rangan wrote that the film "was leagues ahead of the average Tamil and Indian film", though felt that "the masses were unwilling to accept the experimental nature of the film", while talking about the film's box office failure. Post-filming, Kamal Haasan revealed that he was impressed with Madhavan's enthusiasm and concentration during the making of the film and thus subsequently signed him on to appear in his production venture, "Nala Damayanthi" (2003), where he played a Brahmin cook lost in Australia. In 2003, the actor also appeared in Vikraman's family drama "Priyamana Thozhi" as a budding cricketer, Saran's romantic comedy "Jay Jay" and made a guest appearance in Priyadarshan's "Lesa Lesa" as a jailed teacher. The three films made average returns at the box office, though Madhavan's performances were appreciated by critics.