Daggubati Rana’s KVJ gets a massive release

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Daggubati Rana-starrer Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum is gearing for release in 1000 screens worldwide on November 30, 2012. This will be the biggest release for the handsome actor till date. The action adventure, directed by Krish, has Rana (playing B.Tech Babu) and Nayanthara (journalist) while Brahmanandam, Kota Srinivas Rao and Milind Gunaji will be seen in the supporting roles.

Rana said, “Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum is the story of a theatre actor called B.Tech Babu, who goes to Bellary from Hyderabad to perform one last play reluctantly before he leaves to the US. He doesn’t just enact those roles but also experiences each one of the powerful characters. I’m excited and confident that audience will love this film.”

Director Krish said, “Rana’s fans can save crackers for another round of bursts at the time of release as they will see their hero Rana’s outstanding performance in the film in different avatars”.

Mani Sharma’s music has received great response, and a few numbers also topped various chart busters. ‘Victory’ Venkatesh plays a cameo role in KVJ and Sameera Reddy has performed an item number. Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum is jointly produced by Saibabu Jagarlamudi & Y Rajeev Reddy.

Sashidhar AS, TNN | Nov 12, 2012, 12.09PM IST

Failures teach what not to do: Rana Daggubati

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In his short and “experimental journey” in filmdom, the probability of success and failure has been high, says Telegu filmstar Rana Daggubati and adds that failures have taught him not to repeat the same mistakes.

“Since my journey has been experimental, the probability of success or failure is high. But I’ve always learned a thing or two from the experience. Most importantly, I learned what not to do from my failures,” Rana told IANS.

Rana has starred inLeader, Department andDum Maaro Dum and his last two films have not been so successful.

Currently, the actor is gearing up for the release of Telugu revenge-dramaKrishnam Vande Jagatgurum (KVJ) and describes it as yet another experimental project.

“KVJ is also an experimental film with all commercial elements. The film aims to celebrate long forgotten art form called theatre,” Rana said. He plays a theatre artist in the film belonging to a troupe called Surabhi, for whom drama is not only livelihood, but a profession and an art form. Surabhi group is still considered one of the best drama troupes in the country. Not many know the first Telugu heroine Kamalabai who acted in ‘Bhakta Prahlada’ was from the same troupe”.

Is KVJ all about a forgotten art form?

“No. The film has all commercial elements to be called an entertainer. While one aspect of the story is about an ancient art form, the other one is about illegal mining and its effect on the livelihood of people,” the 27-year-old said. Rana performed with real theatre actors in the film and he considers it one of the challenges of the film.

“Cinema and theatre are like two different sides of a coin. The biggest challenge was to mix them and produce something entertaining, yet unique. We learned from each other in the process,” he said.

What were the other challenges?

“We weren’t allowed to shoot in real mining locations. Therefore, we had to recreate mining sets. We had to recreate many sets. To recreate something near to the original was challenging,” he said. The film is being directed by Krish.

“Krish and I have been friends much before the start of the project. Working with him was never like working in a film. It was more like two close friends coming together and breathing life into an idea,” he said.

“Krishnam Vande Jagatgurum”, which releases Nov 9, has Nayantara, Brahmanandam and Kota Srinivasa Rao. It was shot in 80 days, mostly in Hyderabad. The film was supposed to be simultaneously shot in Tamil as Ongaram, and Rana said: “We will work on the Tamil version later. It will more or less be a remake of KVJ. We couldn’t afford to shoot simultaneously because of time.”

IANS Chennai, November 5, 2012 | UPDATED 17:18 IST

One film, many roles

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The old-world charm of folk theatre in ‘Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum’ is contrasted by the newness of an action drama, says Rana Daggubati

Snapshots of an actor in the garb of different mythological characters, a folk theatre group and a businessman trying to displace natives from their land. The first promo of Krish Jagarlamudi’s Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum (KVJ) has whetted the appetite of those who want to see a Telugu film stepping out of the formulaic mode.

Rana Daggubati is beaming and exuding confidence while talking to us about his biggest venture till date. “The film is the story of a theatre actor called B.Tech Babu, who goes to Bellary from Hyderabad to perform one last play before he leaves to the US. In Bellary, he doesn’t just enact those roles but also experiences each one of the characters,” explains Rana.

KVJ introduced Rana to one of the oldest forms of theatre — Surabhi. “Krish came to me with the idea. I was excited and he developed it into a full-fledged story. The Surabhi genre is now restricted to small pockets. I didn’t know where to go to watch Surabhi theatre. Krish took me to watch a Surabhi performance in the city. I learnt by observing them. The biggest difference between cinema and theatre is we, as actors, respond to our co-stars while folk theatre artistes emote looking at the audience,” says Rana.

His role gave him the scope to portray Abhimanyu and Ghatotkacha apart from Dasavataram on stage. “We shot a portion with some of the Surabhi performers. It was fascinating to see them enact a Kurukshetra war sequence on a small stage,” says Rana. Abhimanyu and Ghatotkacha are two parts he was eager to play and the reference points came from yesteryear Telugu films. “It was a huge challenge. When I think of mythological films, only NTR comes to mind. Neither do I resemble NTR nor can I look like ANR in the role of Abhimanyu. I turned to Amar Chitra Katha,” says Rana.

Several makeup tests followed for the different roles. The most challenging was the Narasimha avatar. “We didn’t use prosthetics and I didn’t want to wear a mask. With makeup, we had to arrive at the half-man and half-lion look. We got the look right a day before the shooting,” says Rana. The crew shot the rest of the portions leaving the Narasimha avatar for the last. That gave Rana enough time to work on his physique. “Luckily I am six feet tall and big built. With the help of Lakshman (former Mr. India runner up) and Dinesh, I trained regularly and bulked up for Narasimha avatar,” says Rana. In addition to all this, the film also has a fun staging of Paathala Bhairavai.

But make no mistake; KVJ is not an out-and-out folklore. There is enough newness to contrast the old-world charm of folk theatre, the actor promises. Nayantara is a journalist who attempts to capture the recent developments in Bellary. “Surabhi form of theatre, in pre-Independence era, was performed in Bellary prior to Dasara. It was a green patch of land. All that’s remaining today is barren land and a notorious association with mining. The film tries to capture this contrast,” says Rana.

The Bellary portions were recreated at Ramanaidu Studios, Nanakaramguda. The crew worked through the night to shoot the theatre portions. “We lived in a different time zone, falling asleep at 5 a.m. and waking up in the afternoon. There was no distraction and I could focus on work,” says Rana.

A film that packs in so much is bound to be lengthy? “No. It’s only 2 hour 10 minutes. That’s where Krish’s prior experience as an editor help. He thinks like an editor and shoots only what’s required,” smiles Rana.

Some of this year’s biggest hits in Telugu cinema have been formulaic, masala films. Rana is glad he is exploring a different zone. “I came here to do different kind of cinema that’s entertaining but not formulaic. When you work with regular commercial filmmakers they don’t go all the way in a new genre. Only a few directors like Sekhar Kammula, Krish or Deva Katta believe in their kind of cinema and do it their way. But these directors take two to three years to make a film, since they are also writers,” smiles Rana.

The Tamil version

Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum will release as Ongaram in Tamil, with changes. “Instead of Abhimanyu’s part, we might do Karna. And we want to have something else in place of the Paathala Bhairavisequence. This will take time,” says Rana.

Forthcoming projects

A bi-lingual directed by Selva Raghavan, cameos in Ayan Mukherji’s Yeh Jawaani Yeh Deewani starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukoone and a new Tamil film starring Ajith and Arya, directed by Vishnuvardhan.

The Hindi, HYDERABAD, November 3, 2012

Rana Daggubati pledges support for tiger conservation

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Indian Environment Minister Ms. Jayanti Natrajan was joined by award-winning Indian film star Rana Daggubati at an event that brought out holistic and state-of-the-art conservation efforts underway to step up the conservation of tigers globally.

As a special highlight of the event, the Minister and Rana signed a Cards4tigers postcard, registering their support to the forest guards, as a part of a WWF campaign that recognizes frontline staff who work tirelessly in harsh conditions to protect the tigers.

Emphasising the high level of commitment that India has made towards tiger conservation, the Indian Minister of Environment and Forests, Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan said “India has made significant progress in implementing plans to protect and increase its wild tiger population. The increased use of monitoring technology like camera traps, and M-STrIPES are yielding success in reducing the vulnerability of India’s flagship species.’’‘’The collective effort of all stakeholders including civil society will be vital to take us further from the success that we have already achieved.’’ she said.

The Global Tiger Forum, an intergovernmental body for tiger range states, announced positive developments from Russia in moving towards becoming a member, and also reported that China will become a GTF member in the very near future.

 “Just like the Taj Mahal cannot be built without the efforts of those who lay the stone, tiger conservation cannot be successful without the efforts of our forest guards. They are truly the unsung heroes, often working in the most difficult conditions to save the tigers. We ought to appreciate their efforts and motivate them. I appeal to the public to recognize their efforts, and spare a thought by sending them a message of appreciation for their work so that the tiger and our forests are conserved,” said Rana Dagubatti.

 “The intelligent and continuous monitoring of tigers and their prey, enhanced protection and better infrastructure planning are immediate and crucial aspects that must be stepped up if we are serious about conserving tigers,’’ said Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO of WWF-India. ‘Frontline protection is a crucial element to safeguard against poaching – the biggest threat to tigers today – and needs to be strengthened across tiger range states.’’, he added.

Bringing out optimism and hope in eventually the turning the corner on tiger conservation, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), WWF-India, Global Tiger Forum (GTF) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) showcased state-of-the-art technology and new initiatives that are being  adopted to monitor tigers and other wildlife, the recovery of tiger populations, and efforts towards halting illegal wildlife trade and poaching.

These important discussions around tiger conservation and the show of support came as the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) entered the high-level portion of the negotiations in Hyderabad, India.

Fitness, primarily means a job description for Rana Daggubati

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What is fitness, according to you?

It’s a job description, primarily. For me, I need to be able to keep fit, everyday, for my work. And I work out 5, 6 days in a week. In fact, I train even more on off days, if possible.

Do you follow any new technique to stay fit?

Frankly, there’s no day like that, when I can’t go to the gym. I make sure there isn’t. But on the very rare occasion that I find myself unable to hit the gym, I do floor exercises, which include heavy push-ups and stuff. And I find some place to do abs. I do less cardio in the city, so I make up for that when I go outdoors. There was this time when I had to shoot in Palghat and Pollachi, where I resorted to that. You have to make sure you train everyday; technically, everyone’s always busy but even so, you need to train everyday. Training, in fact, makes sure you work much better. As actors, we shoot late; our timings are all bizarre. We eat, sleep and party at all hours. Our routine itself is unhealthy, because we don’t follow a normal schedule and have to travel so much. So the only way to make sure our body stays in shape is to constantly train.

Southscope, 16 October 2012

Rana Daggubati’s Hyderabadi Biryani

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My earliest memories of food
The aroma of mouth-watering South Indian delicacies made by my grandmother, wafting in the living room.
When I would return from school, I would see her in the kitchen with piping-hot sambar on the stove, steaming idlis and paper dosas.

My favourite recipe
I absolutely love Hyderabadi haleem and biryani. It is one of the reasons why I look forward to Ramzan every year in Hyderabad. The festival gives me a chance to savour the customary home-cooked haleem with my old city friends.

My ‘Maa ke haath ka khana’ 
No other chef can be as perfect as my mom. Her formula for good food never fails as it is served with lots of love. For me, cooking is I Very relaxing; chopping and grating vegetables de-stresses me. I find cooking a fun activity especially when I have to cook for someone.

To impress my woman 
I would prepare an Italian meal comprising lasagne or stuffed shells with garlic bread and bread sticks.

On the sets I usually eat 
I Grilled chicken or baked fish with Caesar salad.

The best meal I’ve ever had
The last time I was in Las Vegas, we dined at the MGM Grand’s Craftsteak Steak House. Lobster Bisque served by them was very smooth, rich, and filled with tender portions of lobster.

I am a regular at 
Aadaab Hotel in Nampally (a suburb in Hyderabad) and Shah Ghouse and Shadab in Old City, Hyderabad. These places are famous for haleem and biryani. I often manage to enter the kitchen at my favourite restaurants to get some useful cooking tips from the chef. Something I can’t resist I Dark chocolate.

My non-food passions
Fitness has now become my passion. I hit the gym twice a day.

Rana Daggubati’s Hyderabadi biryani 
Ingredients: Mutton medium pieces (diced): 150 gm, Curd: 25 g, Red chilli powder: 1 tsp, Green chilli: 1 tsp, Chopped mint: 1 tbsp, Chopped coriander: 1 tbsp, Garam masala powder: 1 tsp, Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp, Onions: 20 gm, Ghee: 15 ml, Basmati rice: 5 gm, Saffron: 1 pinch, Cumin seeds: ½ tsp, Garam masala: 10 gm, Papaya paste: 1 tbsp, Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Marinate mutton with ginger-garlic paste, salt, papaya paste, and red chilli powder and leave it aside for one hour 30 minutes. Wash and soak the rice. Add green chilli, chopped mint, curd, onions, garam masala and jeera to the marinated mutton and mix it well. Boil water in a microwave-proof pan and cook rice in boiling water with garam masala and salt. Strain the rice when it’s 20 per cent cooked. Place mutton mix in a microwave-proof pan and allow mutton to cook in the microwave for 5 minutes. Cover mutton with rice and sprinkle some saffron and ghee on it. Seal the pan and microwave it for 20 minutes. Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander and onions.

Times of India

‘Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum’ First Look

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The first look of the Rana Daggubati, Nayatara starrer ‘Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum’. Directed by the award winning Krish, produced by Rajeev Reddy and Sai Babu, the film has music by Mani Sharma, action by Vijayan Master, choreography by Brinda Master, cinematography by Gnanashekhar, and edited by Shravan. Milind Gunaji makes a huge entry into Telugu films as a villlian. Murli Sharma, Brahmanandam, Raghu Babu, Posani, Nagi Needu form a part of the ensemble cast. Sameera Reddy sizzles in a special item number while Victory Venkatesh makes a unique appearance in the film. 

Rana Daggubati undergoes surgery

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Actor Rana Daggubati has been busy, shooting for his assignments in the South and Bollywood simultaneously. The actor who has been living out of a suitcase, recently had to slow down a little when he had to take a few days rest. While shooting in Hyderabad for his upcoming South project, Rana had to be rushed to a hospital when he got injured on the sets.

Rana has been stationed in Hyderabad since the past couple of weeks as he is shooting forKrishnam Vande Jagadgurum. A source from the sets describes what actually transpired.

“Recently, while shooting for his south film KVJ (Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum) in Hyderabad, Rana suffered a major jaw injury. He was shooting for an intense action sequence, which included a lot of muscle and hand fight like punches and kicks etc. Accidentally, he got punched really hard on his jaw and suffered an injury. The punch was so hard that he had to stop the shoot and rush for a jaw surgery immediately. Obviously the shoot had to be stalled for the day and the entire crew panicked.”

Though the actor was in immense pain, he didn’t want to disrupt the shooting schedule and insisted on resuming the day’s shoot.

However, his director refused and cancelled the shooting. But Rana did land up on the sets the very next day. The source adds, “He insisted on shooting and landed up on the sets, sharp at his call time. He was surviving on a heavy dose of pain killers. He even decided to fulfill all his other professional commitments that included making a few public appearances at events.”

Published: Tuesday, Sep 4, 2012, 9:51 IST
By Sneha Mahadevan | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

Rana wants more of Bollywood in Southern film industry

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His second Hindi film is still to hit the theaters but Rana Daggubati says he has big plans ahead, in Bollywood that is. 

Recently in Lucknow to promote Ram Gopal Varma’s “Department”, his next with Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt, Rana talks about his filmi future and more…

My mantra? Be different!

Rana says he simply can’t, won’t be slotted. Be it in Bollywood or even down South. “There’s everything good about this film,” smiles an excited Rana, explaining, “The subject, police drama, is something I am comfortable with, in fact, I have been wanting to work in for a long time. Again, it comes almost a year after “Dum Maaro Dum” and so people have had time to forget my work in the previous and they will watch me with a fresh perspective. Actually, it all comes down to practicalities of the profession. For someone like me who has started out in both the Hindi and Telugu films at roughly the same time, it’s important that I be different. Especially since now even Hindi films have a great presence down South. Hindi films open at around the same time as a Telugu film does in Hyderabad, where I live… If there is one thing I am certain about, is that while I still have the time and the energy, I will try everything till I find my niche. And I have no fears in experimenting. In the total of six films that I have appeared in, including Hindi and Telugu ones, the genre ranging from romantic to thriller has been completely different.”

South calling, can B-wood hear?

If there’s one question that Rana’s constantly asked, it’s about his reasons for attempting Hindi films despite a flourishing Telugu career. And his stock reply is, “Why not?” He continues, “in fact, there have always been stars from South who have done Bollywood, though in the past they came for one-off projects, usually to act in the Hindi remakes of their own films, as they were intent that no one else reprise the role. Now that trickle has become something of a flood.”

But what Rana really wants is more of Bollywood in the Southern film industry. He explains, “Both the industries share a lot of commonalities and already the Bollywood influence is apparent in the songs, choreography, etc in Tollywood films. But I see scope for the Telugu/Tamil industry to adopt more in terms of stories from Bollywood, and of course it would be nice to have more actors, who can work in many languages, someone like me. Actually, I am the missing link here! For, I am conversant in languages and can thus straddle both the industries.”

Naam mein kyaa rakkha hai?

Hungry Rana may be for an all-round filmi experience, but he is loath to talk about directors on his wishlist. “Of course, Ramuji has been a dream to work with, especially since I have grown up watching his work. Then again there was a familiarity because both of us come from the same place,” he reluctantly agrees when probed on the director he would want to work with next, but stops short of mentioning any more names. And not without good reason, Rana shrugs, explaining, “See it may sound like a cliche to say I go after stories, but I really do, and I have a practical reason for doing so. Among my first films was this one with a well known director, who I wanted to work with. And it flopped! So, trust me when I say that I go after the story. And I take the decision to work on a ny script after seeking advice from my father and my team.”

Ever since Love Life Is Out Of Bounds

Rana Daggubati made his Bollywood debut with “Dum Maaro Dum”, if there’s one thing that has kept him constantly in news, it’s his love life and the affair with co-actor Bipasha Basu. However, after having admitted to not dating Bips and agreeing that he does have that someone special in his life, Rana begs off from answering more. “There is a great deal of pressure on us actors already and I see no reason to allow a peek into my private space. That’s precious and I need to give my relationship time to develop, I need to nurture it and help it grow and that won’t happen if there is constant scrutiny. Everybody needs balance in their lives, but perhaps we seek it more, considering our lives are already out in the public space.”

Mr Akhilesh Is Such A Gentleman

Calling this second visit to Lucknow a “much more relaxed one”, Rana says, “The last time we were here, for “Dum Maaro Dum”, it was all such a mad rush. But this time we had more time. Of course, Lucknow food is heaven for someone like me who has a meat tooth. But the best part was meeting the CM. You know, there’s such an aura that the word ‘CM’ always carries. You expect a person with all the airs and more security… But Mr Akhilesh was such a gentleman. He came out to receive us when our vehicle arrived at his residence! And the entire family greeted Sanjay and me and piled food on us. Such a hospitable family. I wish I had taken pictures with them.”

Anjali Chandra, TNN | May 15, 2012, 11.23AM IST