Not Rana-of-the-mill: A tête-à-tête with Baahubali heartthrob Rana Daggubati 

Rana Daggubati, the bad boy of Baahubali, has his hands full with an upcoming movie, a top-rated TV show and a promising boxing team. Yet, he shows no sign of slowing down. 
Not Rana-of-the-mill: A tête-à-tête with Baahubali heartthrob Rana Daggubati 

Rana Daggubati loves a good joke. Especially, if it’s on him. The handsome 6' 2” six-pack Tollywood star, now known to the country as Bhallala Dev of Baahubali, starts off by saying, “I looked like a bull after we wrapped the shoot in 2016. Didn’t I?” It’s the same self-deprecating humour that makes him a good host on his new TV show No. 1 Yaari. But more importantly, this 32-year-old who began his movie career seven years ago with director Sekhar Kammula’s Leader, has his feet firmly on the ground as he prepares to fly higher. Not one to look back or revel in past accomplishments, even as the blockbuster Baahubali grosses Rs.1,917 crores at the box-office and celebrates its 100th day in the theatres, this  Hyderabadi is always engaged. When we met him, he was busy at his office at the Rama Naidu Studios in Film Nagar, promoting a cool new app that he and his team put together. We catch the actor, producer, social media star, sporting fanatic at his jovial best.

Excerpts: 
We hear that you have unleashed a new technology that can replicate ten virtual Ranas for your fans in the theatres? 
Yes, our production house (Suresh Productions) has made the first interactive poster in the world using an app called Appstar for my new movie titled Nene Raju Nene Mantri (NRNM). The movie will hit the theatres on August 11 and has been dubbed into Tamil as Naan Aanaiyittaal and Malayalam as Raaja Kireedam. 

A still from <em>Nene Raju Nene Mantri</em>
A still from Nene Raju Nene Mantri

I’ve been into movies for seven years and I get excited merging technology with art. Although this is an expensive gamble, we wanted to make it interactive and smartphone-compatible as that would appeal to lakhs of phone users. As an actor, I often have to say no to those who ask for a photograph with me for obvious reasons. But now, I can oblige them all. You just have to point your smartphone to the bar code on the movie poster and within a second, I will surface on the screen and talk to you. Ask your friend to hold the phone screen next to you and we can click a picture together. Dream girl Kajal Aggarwal and my co-star in the movie will also appear next to me and we can click a keepsake. Up to 10 phones can click pictures simultaneously. See, technology has made me omnipresent.
 
Talking of technology and new media, congrats on reaching three million Twitter followers. You are one of the most followed celebs in T’town. What’s your favourite go-to social media platform?
Thanks. I am a hands-on social media star and no post goes online without my approval. I am the kind who thinks aloud, so there are more than three updates on some days. My favourite is Twitter as it is short and sweet. Facebook, however, has a much larger user base and response rate. I guess Instagram is not my kind of an app as I am not a selfie maniac. I tried Snapchat, but that’s too much effort for such a short span.
 
Has social media helped you fight gossip? How do you handle all of that? Especially, with things like Suchi leaks and other recent issues?
I have never fought gossip. It’s a waste of time. I just let it die down. For me sending out the right information is crucial, especially about movies. We need people to see films and we make it for them. I use these media to keep my fans updated about the things I feel they need to know. This morning no sooner did I tweet saying ‘Big announcements coming up’ than the gossip media published false stories me signing a movie with VV Vinayak.  I immediately clarified that it was not true. Thank God for social media!

 
Tell us something about your new talk show No. 1 Yaari? You are being hailed as the ‘Karan Johar of Tollywood’.
Wow, that’s a compliment. No.1 Yaari, as the title says, is about celebrating friendship. I  grew up amidst the stars (Naga Chaitanya, Ram Charan) today and I know most of them on a first name basis. The show brings out the camaraderie between us. Naturally, my bond with them gives me an edge over the other anchors. I am just cashing on that. In the 13-episode series (aired on Gemini TV, Sunday, 8.30 pm and Viu app), I bring in two stars every week.

The trailer of your upcoming movie NRNM garnered eight million views. Do these views really translate into the success of the movie? What is the movie about?
One hundred percent. The trailer is a part of the film and if the audience has liked it, the movie is most likely to appeal to the people, unless of course, the trailer makers cheated the audience by inserting just the juicy bits. Social media is a strong medium. The word can spread like wildfire. The movie is a commercial entertainer with political drama as the backdrop. The views and applause is bound to have an impact on the success of the movie. NRNM is an alternative movie, but it’s also commercial. It’s the story of Jogendra, where everything seems to be working for him and then people with power try to keep him down. He later flips back and begins his journey into dark politics. But then, we also focus on his marital life. The trailer shows that it’s not a quick random love story, but one with multiple layers. You will get to see me talking in the Nellore dialect in a crisp cotton pancha (dhoti). You will also get to see old heritage houses and of course, dialogues with political punchlines. 

  How is life after Baahubali?
Baahubali opened up a new world for me. I have proven myself as an artist and my real journey began. I have earned the liberty to do the movies I want to do – like The Ghazi Attack and now NRNM.

Your movie Dum Maro Dum (2011) in Bollywood was a flash in the pan. When will we see you in Hindi films again?
Thanks to The Ghazi Attack (2017) and Baahubali (2017), I have proved to the world that I can sit in Hyderabad and work in blockbuster movies in Hindi. If I had made The Ghazi Attack in Mumbai, it would have cost me twice as much. We made it in Hyderabad with a smaller budget and it worked like magic. Ditto with Baahubali, which shattered myths about how only movies made in Mumbai get into the ‘cool crore club.’ Thank you, but I am happy in Hyderabad and hope to rule Mumbai soon.
In the US, all filmmakers don’t live in Los Angles. They come together to make good films. That’s really what cinema is about and India will eventually become like that. If your story is good, use technology and make your own blockbuster.


Your Facebook profile reads ‘artist in Hyderabad’. Surely, you are a lot more than this.
Among other things, I am a techie. I started off doing some grunt work at Spirit, the VFX section of Rama Naidu Studios. Some one in the US saw my work and even offered me a job in a TV crew in America.
 
You are now a part of Super Boxers and also own Baahubali boxers. Are you into boxing?
I used to box when I was young. The coaching classes would happen during summer vacations and it was sweaty at the LB Stadium where I would learn. But then I injured my nose and then I stopped. But my love for the sport continues and I am glad I am able to enjoy it this way. It is a rapid game full of high voltage action. 
 
What about Kabaddi?
I love Kabaddi. When Star network approached me, I was excited. I wanted to watch a match. I’ve played Kabaddi as a child, but never watched any of it on TV. The dynamics of making it something to be watched on TV flipped me. It’s super quick and is like watching a fight. The energy is crazy. People usually watch soccer and boxing. I introduced my friends to Kabaddi and they got hooked.
 
Is it the producer or the artiste in you who frequently dictates your decision of signing or rejecting a movie?
I do experimental cinema, but I make sure it’s calculated risk, not a leap of faith. I love new talent and which is why when I saw the set that Sankalp Reddy, the director of Ghazi, put up for a short film, I just got off the car to hug him and listen to his story. I knew this had to be experimented with. Everyone said it would crash as it had no glamour girl, it would be shot in darkness, and inside a submarine for God’s sake. So if I am investing in me, the artiste steps back and the producer comes to the fore.
 
As a producer, do you think there is a dearth of good scripts?
Yes, but the industry is also trying out solutions. For example, SIIMA (South Indian International Movie Awards) at Abu Dhabi conducted a Short Film Awards for Telugu and Kannada films in June. This introduced us to new filmmakers and they get to interact with the producers. I recently got to know that Apple TV has 60,000 subscriptions in Hyderabad. That means they have access to great cinema. We better give them cinema that they appreciate and not the same old routine stories. A few years ago, movie producers would have scoffed at the idea, but after the success of The Ghazi Attack, they are eating their words. We need to look for right scripts and new stories. 

A still from <em>The Ghazi Attack</em>
A still from The Ghazi Attack

Quick Takes-
Hashtags that define you: 
Can I just have one? #Movies

Your idea of cinema: 
The show must go on 

Signature Hyderabadi move: 
Eat Haleem every day during Ramzan 

Fun apps on your phone?
Fancy: It gives you a list of fancy things across the world 
Scapple:  It is a big empty blank sheet 

Three life lessons learnt so far: 
1. Get immune to criticism
2. Listen to yourself
3.Trust your judgment

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