We last saw Rana Daggubati in Virata Parvam and Bheemla Nayak last year, while Daggubati Venkatesh, more popularly known mononymously as Venkatesh or Venky, was also seen in F3: Fun and Frustration and in his much-loved cameo as God in Ori Devuda. While the uncle and nephew have had a great career, the former’s spanning 13 years, while the latter’s entering his fourth decade soon — the Daggubatis have never worked together. This changes now as Venkatesh and Rana just made their debut as a duo with a brand new show on Netflix, Rana Naidu. We catch up with the duo for a fun, freewheeling chat where we talk about the show, acting together for the first time, their fashion and fitness choices and lots more. Excerpts:
How come you chose to make this show in Hindi?
Daggubati Venkatesh: Honestly, that’s how it was pitched to us. So, we didn’t really have too much of a say in it (laughs).
Rana Daggubati: It came to us in that direction and it was a story of South Indians in Mumbai and I thought it was a very interesting setting and would be very interesting to do. It’s also very unusual for a family drama to look this way in Telugu (laughs). Hindi is slightly more accepting of something like this and so, to be very honest, it was safer for us to do it in Hindi and then dub it into other languages.
Venkatesh, we know you’ve done Hindi films in the past, but how did it feel getting back to the Bollywood drill?
Yes, it’s been quite a while and I must admit, it was a bit challenging in the beginning. I was also very curious about why they approached me and were keen on me to get on board. But, when I did finally take a look at the script, I realised it was going to be a challenging one and was going to be really different. My character has so many shades and it’s not your typical family drama that just focuses on the traditional relationship between a father and son in black and white. This role had such large greys and was packed with varied emotions and that was really exciting. For me, after almost 30 years, after films like Anari (1993) and Taqdeerwala (1995), to come back with a project like this — I’m sure the generation that watched me all those years ago, would have already forgotten about me — so, for me, this is like a second debut of sorts? Let’s hope this new generation likes this absolutely crazy character that I essay — Naga Naidu — who is such an unpredictable and shady guy but extremely lovable. Hopefully, he appeals to this new audience and they accept this new version of me.
You might be essaying a father and son in the film, but your characters seem to be pitted against one another — how was it shooting such a dynamic?
Venkatesh: I’ve watched most of Rana’s earlier films and he’s an actor who gets into his character really fast. I also followed cue and got into my character the moment we started shooting and it was quite comfortable — because we were both very invested in these characters. Be it the director, the other actors or even the both of us, we all knew we were doing something that excited and challenged us all. He became Rana Naidu and I became Naga Naidu and we enjoyed our roles thoroughly.
Rana: I was really happy it was in Hindi, it was so much easier to essay this character in this environment in Hindi and not Telugu. I remember when I was dubbing for it in Telugu, I was like, ‘this hits too close to home.’ So, yes, I’m happy we shot it in Hindi, it was much easier. Also, the characters were etched out really well even before we began shooting, so, that was easy to work our performances into.
Bollywood often portrays all South Indians as Tamil and we’ve had so many films where the underworld don is a Tamil character, this has been changing recently — so, how was it to represent Telugu in the world of Bollywood’s Mumbai?
Rana: The Telugus are here! (laughs) But to answer that question more honestly — Hyderabad is a different world altogether, even the Hindi or Urdu spoken there has its own energy. It’s got its own distinct culture when compared to Chennai or for that matter, anywhere else in the South. But, now, in the age of the OTT, we’re so accepting of diverse things and we like to watch things that are more authentic, so this show lends its way into showing us as characters who have come from Hyderabad and we stay true to that. I think, this is just the beginning. We’re going to see a lot more Telugu characters in Bollywood in the future too and I’m sure of that.
Both of you have always been portrayed as lover boys largely, how comfortable are you with such a different genre?
Venkatesh: For me, it’s an absolute U-turn. I have always been known as the romantic hero, the family hero, the safe hero; so for me, this is an absolutely new experience. So much so, I advise my Telugu fans to not watch this with their families and instead, watch it in the privacy of their own bedrooms (laughs). And yes, this wasn’t ignored. We did think about how audiences would react, but at the end of the day, as strong as the emotions or language might be, this will also, at its very core, be about family. I feel my audiences, if they give this a chance, will appreciate the drama and will start rooting for the characters too. Of course, people will be shocked, but I really believe Rana Naidu will reach a huge audience and the character I essay will be appreciated. That said, this is one of the biggest risks I have taken in my career.
Rana: I’ve played negative characters in the past and I have also played very grey characters, but this is slightly different. Since this is a show, there are going to be moments where the audience absolutely loves me and there are going to be situations where they hate me with equal fervour. This guy has a complex story and it’s probably one of the most complex roles I have ever essayed and that is why I wanted to do it. That said, while there is a lot of crime and drama, the core is really the complications within a family and so, I think there will be a lot of takers.
You work with each other for the first time, how was that experience?
Rana: For me, this is huge! I have always wanted to act with my uncle and here I am essaying his son. It’s awesome and it’s the craziest way in which you will probably see us together on-screen.
Moving on to style — both of you are considered style icons in each of your respective generations, so what does style mean to each of you?
Rana: For me, for most of my life, style was always defined by what I found in Venky’s wardrobe (laughs). And I think he is still way more stylish than I am and always dresses way cooler than me.
Venkatesh: I just like to be comfortable in whatever I am wearing. I just pick up whatever I like. I am an impulsive shopper and don’t feel the need to follow trends. If I like it and I think I’ll be comfortable in it, I’ll wear it.
When it comes to fitness, you’ve both also always managed to stay in great shape?
Venkatesh: My secret is simply moderation. I don’t eat too much, my workouts are not too rigorous and I stay away from habits that could affect my health.
Rana: I’m just the opposite. I always love sculpting my body as per the requirements of my character and I am excited about the fact that being an actor, I can be many people. I have lots of fun doing that. I did go to a bunch of extremes, but now I have chosen to balance my life in an effort to ensure my health is a priority.
What do you do to de-stress?
Venkatesh: I’m usually at home with my family when I am not shooting and I meditate a lot.
Rana: To be honest, I enjoy my job so much; I’ve never really craved for a break per se. Also, I am by myself for most of the day when I am not working and that adequate personal space gives me enough rejuvenation and allows me to reset, whenever I need to.
Finally, will we see you both work together on a Telugu project soon?
Venkatesh: Yes. We’re constantly listening to scripts and we will work on a Telugu project together very soon, I am sure. What, Rana, what do you say?
Rana: Together, we can’t go wrong (laughs). So, definitely, 100 per cent, you’ll see us in many projects together.
Streaming on Netflix.
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