His only release in 2011 was the romantic drama film, "Tanu Weds Manu" alongside Kangana Ranaut, which saw him play the role of a sensible doctor hoping to get an arranged marriage with a girl, who has a dramatically diverse personality to him. Prior to release, the film's promotional campaign created anticipation and upon release, the film became a large success at the box office. Madhavan's portrayal of Manoj Kumar Sharma aka Manu won positive acclaim, with a reviewer citing that his performance was "real, restrained, yet forceful" and another claiming he was "perfectly cast". Madhavan next appeared as a police officer in Linguswamy's Tamil film "Vettai" (2012), an action entertainer featuring an ensemble cast of Arya, Amala Paul and Sameera Reddy. The film opened to positive reviews in January 2012 and went on to become a commercial success, with critics praising Madhavan's decision to accept the role of a timid cop, while a critic noted that he had "an uncanny talent for comedy". He then featured in "Jodi Breakers" (2012), a Hindi romantic comedy film shot in Greece alongside Bipasha Basu, though the film did not perform well commercially.