Rana is shooting currently for his Telugu film “Naa Ishtam” and was unable to collect the award in person. Rana’s buddy Ram Charan Tej accepted the award on behalf of Rana. Charan also shared some anecdotes about his childhood days with Rana, when they used to share lunch boxes together.

‘Ye Maya Chesave’, ‘Maryada Ramanna’, ‘Vedam’, ‘Prasthanam’ and ‘Leader’ dominated the selection. Industry sources say that the 2011 Lux CineMaa Awards were an appreciation for all the truly deserving.

Nandamuri Balakrishna was awarded the Best actor for his stupendous performance in ‘Simha’. Gautham Menon was selected as ‘Best Director’ for ‘Ye Maaya Chesave’ and Kajal Agarwal was bestowed with Best Actress award for her performance in the movie ‘Brindavanam’.

Rana said, “Congratulations to Mr.Balakrishna SS Rajamouli, Gautham Menon, my favorite Samantha Ruth Prabhu and all the other winners. Thank you MAA for the best debut award. A start like this always keeps us charged for our nxt. Sorry couldn’t be there. And a big hug and much love to Bunny and Cris J for Vedam.

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After splendid tollywood debut film ‘Leader‘ next Rana bollywood debut film ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ in Ramesh Sippy Entertainment’s is all set to hit theaters worldwide on April 22nd. Distributed by Fox Star Studios, the film stars Abhishek Bachchan, Rana Daggubati, Aditya Pancholi, Prateek Babbar, Bipasa Basu and Govind Namdev. Rohan Sippy is the director.

As a part of film promotion a press meet was organised at Taj Deccan Hotel in Hyderabad today. This programme was attended by Rana Daggubati, Bipasa Basu and Rohan Sippy.

Rana, Rohan and Bipasa launched the T-shirt and tea mug with the logo of the movie on it at the press conference.

Bipasa remined that she acted with Mahesh Babu in the movie ‘Takkari’ and Ranas the second Telugu hero she is acting with.  She was all praise for Rana and said that he is a handsome guy.

Addressing the media Rana said, “I agreed to do this film even before ‘Leader’. My role in this film will be impressive. On this occasion I thank the director for giving this wonderful opportunity. ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ is being made on Goa backdrop and there are three stories in this film and mine is one. I never expected that I would do a Bollywood film so early. Although this is my 2nd film, it’s my first film in Hindi. Abhishek and Bipasa Basu were very friendly throughout the making period.”

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DUM MAARO DUM
Goa. Paradise on Earth. But every Paradise has a few snakes.
Multiple lives collide brutally one day at Goa Airport… and change forever.
Lorry (Prateik Babbar)
A student on the verge of following his girlfriend to a US University. But when his scholarship gets
rejected, his life threatens to spiral out of control, until he meets a smooth talking hustler who
promises to get it back on track. For a small price. His soul.
ACP Vishnu Kamath (Abhishek Bachchan)
A self destructive cop fleeing his own past, Kamath is given the job of destroying the brutal local
and international drug mafia in Goa. As he begins his ruthless, relentless campaign and takes on
the murky drug world… he discovers nothing is what it seems.
DJ Joki (Rana Daggubati)
A local musician and mute spectator to what is happening around him, Joki drifts aimlessly through
life after an encounter with the drug mafia cost him everything he held dear. Today he discovers
history has a nasty habit of repeating itself. Will he finally have the guts to take a stand?
Zoe (Bipasha Basu)
An aspiring airhostess who saw her dreams turn to dust, Zoey in a way represents Goa itself. A
child of the hippy generation, a mix of local and foreign culture, innocence and beauty have
gradually been replaced by cynicism and abuse.
Lorsa Biscuta aka the Biscuit ( Aditya Pancholi)
A ruthless local businessman, the Biscuit has his finger in every Goan pie, legal or illegal.

The point person between all the various Mafias operating in Goa, the Biscuit finds himself pushed to the extreme limit with Kamath’s arrival. But he knows who to turn to: A mysterious shadow
The ultimate drug kingpin. Many names, many identities but no one knows who he is….We hurtle into the bylanes, beach shacks and raves of Goa with Lorry as his life spirals out of control, with Joki as he tries to redeem the past and with Kamath as he goes no-holds-barred after the mysterious shadow figure behind it all… Punctuated with a soundtrack that moves from pulsating dance tracks to haunting Konkani songs,shot right in the midst of the teeming international tourist hotspots, Dum Maaro Dum takes you on
a dramatic, thrilling trip filled with twists, turns, suspense… and a shocking finale!

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‘Kya Hai Kahaani Tere Paap Ki’ (To face the future, they had to redeem the past!)

PRODUCTION NOTES

The ProductionDum Maaro Dum races through the bylanes and shacks of Goa to bring you the stories of four characters whose lives collide brutally at Goa airport.  ACP Kamath- a tough as nails cop, who has a past to redeem and is going to go no holds barred after the mysterious drug kingpin in Goa, who rules all the drug mafia there.Lorry- a young innocent student who will find that shortcuts in life often come with a heavy price.DJ Joki- a Goan musician, who once lost everything dear to him and stood by silently.  Now he has to make sure history does not repeat itself.Zoe- A free spirited Goan girl, whose innocence and beauty was marred when she let her ambition take her down the wrong lane.In the midst of international tourist spots, we chase these four characters as their stories culminate in a shocking finale through a trip filled with dramatic, thrilling twists and turns.

The Cast

Of course Abhishek has played a cop before, but never like this.  The beauty of ACP Kamath’s character lies in his shade of grey. Laughing outside, seething inside. The film is as much his fight against external demons as his own internal ones which are much more terrifying. ‘I think people will really like ACP Kamath’s character’ says Rohan.  ‘I had initially met Abhishek for the role of DJ Joki, but he felt an instant connection to the character of ACP Kamath and has delivered a fine performance.  There is something so empathetic about ACP Kamath, that you just want to be on his side.’

ACP Kamath having been cast, the next challenge was to find DJ Joki.  ‘This was a very difficult character to cast, you needed someone who looked Goan, which ruled out all the Punjabi faces right away’ jokes Rohan.  You also needed someone a little younger than Abhishek, because ACP Kamath plays an integral role in DJ Joki’s life, almost like a mentor. From our Associate producer

Roopa De Choudury and Telugu director Prakash Kovelamudi we heard of Rana Daggubati, an actor from Hyderabad who had completed a Telugu film called ‘Leader’.  Rana has great screen presence, a real life relaxed and happy presence, which so exemplified the Goan spirit of Susegaad (be chilled out, take it easy). The moment we met him, the moment he smiled his contagious smile…. we knew we had found our Joki.”

Casting Lorry was fairly easy, Prateik was always the first choice and he has essayed the innocence Lorry needs to perfection. His was perhaps one of the hardest roles to play in the film

— a 17 year typical middle class kid fighting failure, jealousy, loss, lust, temptation, hormones, sheer abject terror. He had a formidable brief – to balance all these elements – and he pulled it off outstandingly. His story is the heart, the driver of the film, the trigger that sets Kamath and  Joki in motion.

Casting Zoe was again a challenge.  Zoe’s character graph undergoes a complete transition in the film, you needed someone very attractive and someone who could suffuse her character with the depth and vulnerability that Zoe’s transition in the film needs.  Bipasha came on board and delivered one of the finest, most poignant, performances in the film.  She brought a grace to Zoe’s character that no one could envision.

Any discussion of the film would be incomplete without mentioning the crucial invaluable roles

played by Aditya Pancholi and Govind Namdev. Aditya, as the ultimate puppet master, the suave businessman who has to precariously balance the various foreign criminal elements and keep his calm as he takes on the ruthless Kamath, and Govind, as the veteran textbook cop who is a guide and cynical mentor to ACP Kamath, both brought a deadly gravity to their roles as perhaps no one else could. Ramesh Sippy, Producer of ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ mentions that a fellow Producer from New York had first read the script, loved it and taken it to Fox Star Studios, who in turn saw immense potential in it.  Fox Star Studios wanted to come on board as the co-producers and distributors and have been a pleasure to work with.  He believes their experience internationally and in handling distribution of a mammoth film like ‘My Name Is Khan’ will come in handy for ‘Dum  Maaro Dum’.

‘We hope that with our potpourri of exciting elements, and very talented cast and crew, this film  will succeed in exciting audiences worldwide’, says Mr. Ramesh Sippy.

‘Ultimately this film was just so much fun to work on, because of the excellent chemistry the  cast and crew shared’. signs off Rohan.

Biography – Sekhar Kammula

Sekhar Kammula is a name that is synonymous with quality cinema in the Telugu film industry. A critically acclaimed award winning Telugu film director, producer and writer, he has changed the entire perspective of the Telugu film industry with his films. The 39 year old film-maker hails from Eluru in West Godavari of Andhra Pradesh. He worked in the IT industry for a brief period and then joined the MFA program at Howard University, Washington, D.C.

Geared with a motive to make cinema with class, his films also echo the stories of the common man in today’s world, as will be perceived even in his next movie ‘Leader’. He has turned away from stereotypes, and has created real life-like characters that everyone can identify with. He bagged the national award for his film ‘Dollar Dreams’ in 2000 for the ‘best first film director’. . The movie essentially detailed the ideologies of the youth of today. His next film ‘Anand’ was a huge hit in the year 2004 which won seven Nandi awards. The punch line ‘ Manchi Coffee lanti cinema’ (Cinema like a good cup of coffee) defined the movie in its entirety. ‘Godavari’, his next film was a moderate success but was well received by critics. 2007 saw the release of his next film, ‘Happy days’. This movie touched the hearts of all the college going students and those who went to college sometime in their lives. There is a strong sense of nostalgia that is provoked by the film and everyone who has seen the film identifies with at least one of the characters in the film.  He avoids the excessive use of violence and vulgarity in his films.

His passion and commitment for film –making is manifest in all his films. He is known for making cinema in its most honest form that will be reflected in his latest venture ‘Leader’. He has taken up the challenge to work with a very relevant and novel subject in ‘Leader’.

Biography – AVM

AVM Productions is credited with being the oldest and the largest production house in India. It was started by A.V. Meiyappan in 1946, and is presently controlled by M.Sarvanan and his son, M.S. Guhan. Their filming studios are situated at Vadlapani in Chennai. The company prides itself on the creation of 174 films, all the while surviving the trials and tribulations of time. Their latest venture in Telugu, ‘Leader’ is the 175th film to hit the screens. AVM has always been attributed as an establishment that has produced captivating films for the audiences and has provided opportunities to many talented artists throughout the years.

A.V. Meiyappan always provided opportunities to upcoming and talented artists and technicians. Making movies for him was not a business; it was a means to achieving soul satisfaction. Even today, their movies are a continued proof of the dedication of his offspring. AVM Studios has all the facilities and equipment required for the production of films and television serials with pre-production and post production facilities as well. In addition, they have outdoor sets and shooting floors with all kinds of facilities required to make a film. A.V. Meiyappan is the guiding strength behind his son M.Sarvanan, his grandson M.S.Guhan and his great granddaughters who continue to take it forward with commitment and dedication.

AVM films are recognized as not just commercial endeavors, but as films with a social message backing and films that trigger the minds of the audience. Recent notable films include ‘Sivaji’ (2007), ‘Ayan’(Veedokadde in Telugu), ‘Thirupati’(2005) and several others. Their most recent venture is ‘Vettaikkaaran’ and their upcoming film is ‘Leader’ (2009) in Telugu. After huge successes such as Sivaji, ‘Leader’, starring debut actor Rana Daggubati will be the next major explosion to hit Tollywood.

Biography – Mickey J Meyer

Mickey. J. Meyer is a renowned composer, instrumentalist and vocalist based in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. From his childhood itself, he has been well trained in Carnatic music and musical instruments such as the violin and piano. He is only the third Indian to have studied at the Trinity Music College of London following in the footsteps of the music Maestros, Ilayaraja and A.R. Rahman.  All his compositions have a distinct Western flavor which he owes to his schooling. He has composed several songs and scores for Telugu films in the past few years.

Mickey’s inspiration has been A.R. Rahman from the beginning. His first big break in the Telugu film industry happened in the form of the Telugu movie, ‘Pothe Poni’. Following this, he also composed the music for ‘10th Class’ (2006) and ‘Notebook’ (2007). Soon after this, Sekhar Kammula signed Mickey as the music director for his film ‘Happy Days’ which has been considered one of his best albums till date. He received recognition with the Best Music Director award at the three major Telugu film awards – Filmfare Awards South, Nandi awards and the CineMAA awards. Due to his huge success, he composed the music for the remakes of the film in Tamil (Inidhu Inidhu) and Kannada (Jolly Days) as well. This paved the way for his entrance to other Indian film industries as well.

Owing to his outstanding success, he then went on to compose the scores and songs for the Telugu films ‘Hare Ram’ and ‘Kotha Bangaru Lokam’. He has composed music for Sekhar Kammula’s next film ‘Leader’ to be released this year. The album is said to have some powerful and enjoyable tracks, which will certainly be well liked and admired by all audiences. He has surely made his mark as the most promising new music director in the Telugu film industry.

Grandson of Telugu movie moghul Dr. D. Ramanaidu and producer D. Suresh Babu’s son, Rana is making his debut as the lead actor in a political thriller that is all set to launch this year (2009). Having inherited a passion for cinema from his family, Rana produced his very first film in 2006 “A Belly full of Dreams”, which won him the National Award for the best film.
DOP of the film: Music by Patnaik R.P,Cinematography by Kiran Reddy,Film Editing by A. Sreekar Prasad,Art Direction by Bhupesh R. Bhupathi(more details of Cast & Crew)

Before embarking on an acting career, Rana was a successful Digital Post entrepreneur, accredited with having transformed the evolution of the postproduction landscape in South India. Having identified an emerging need for digital services he established DI and state-of-art postproduction technologies through his company, Spirit Media.

After the success of Spirit Media, Rana underwent intensive training in acting. After his uncle, Telugu superstar Venkatesh, Rana hopes to carry on the family legacy, not just behind the camera but in front of it as well. His debut performance in the upcoming film ‘Leader’ directed by Sekhar Kammula is sure to establish him as an accomplished actor and star.

Filmography

2002 –Straight out of school in 2002, Rana spent a year and a half in Chennai pursuing photography at the Konica Institute of Imaging and Technology and also consulting for Timeline studio, a visual effects studio, as a cinematographer. During the year he produced several documentaries and advertisement films in Chennai and Hyderabad for various brands, gaining proficiency in various facets of film-making.

2003 – At the age of 19, Rana returned to Hyderabad to join the family business at Ramanaidu Studios and Suresh Productions, an integrated production power house. He learnt the art, craft and business of filmmaking from his grandfather industry veteran Dr. D Ramanaidu, his father D Suresh Babu and his uncle superstar Venkatesh. He believed strongly in the versatility and potential of film-making as a medium of expression and even produced, directed and photographed a 60-minute Hindi film titled “Barah” (12) which won him several accolades in youth film circles.

2004 – Rana was also the executive Producer and Cinematographer for a number of films produced by Suresh Productions. He worked on movies released under the banner of ‘Suresh Productions’ such as the super hit movie ‘Soggadu’.

2005 – In 2005, he saw a viable opportunity in providing post-production services and started ‘Spirit Media’ to cater to the Telugu film Industry (Tollywood). It was set up as a group company of Suresh Productions, and a part of Ramanaidu Studios. Spirit Media was inaugurated in April by Barry Osborne, Hollywood film-maker and producer of The Lord of the Rings, Face Off and The Matrix trilogy. Through Spirit Media, Rana has exposed the South Indian film industry to more sophisticated film quality, thereby creating rapid demand for DI services in South India. Rana channeled Spirit Media into other national and international alliances such as QED, an international VFX collaboration backed by Barry Osborne, and Legend Films, catering to colorization and restoration of films. Spirit Media has also worked on major projects such as ‘Dasavaatharam’, ‘Gandhi My Father’, ‘Lakshmi’, ‘Stalin’ and ‘Pokiri’.

2006 – Spirit Media established itself as the premier Digital Post facility in South India. Rana also won the prestigious national award for his very first Telugu feature film, ‘A Belly Full of Dreams’. Spirit Media entered into a strategic partnership with Nipuna Services Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Satyam Computer Services Ltd. With the strengths of Spirit and Nipuna combined in a strategic partnership, they were able to provide an all-encompassing, one-stop solution for post production clients in the Film and Television Industries. After establishing itself in Hyderabad, Rana further expanded its operations to Chennai and Bangalore. Rana funneled Spirit into an alliance with FX Labs, a game development company and developed popular Bollywood movie based video games ‘Dhoom 2’ and ‘Ghajini’. Other collaborations include AVM Studios, Chennai for digital post production and also 4k animation GmbH, a German animation company catering to 3D animation and visual effects for Hollywood. Through Spirit Media, Rana also roped in senior digital colorist, Florian Martin ‘Utsi’ (of The Lord of the Rings fame) for forthcoming films.

2007 –Spirit Media collaborated with Prime Focus in January 2006 and Rana acquired a seat on the Board of Directors of Prime Focus. The company has continued to grow both regionally and internationally and is now India’s largest entertainment services company. He then began training for an active career as an actor. He went through two years of intensive training in acting which included dance, diction, action and stage plays.

2008 – Rana underwent training in performing arts at the Barry John School of acting, started by veteran theatre personality Barry John in the heart of Mumbai. Thereafter, he also underwent training in a stunt academy. During this time period, he was focused on developing scripts – transforming ideas into workable blueprints for his films.

2009 – This year sees Rana as the lead actor in his debut film ‘Leader’ – directed by Sekhar Kammula. The film falls in the classic genre of political drama. In this film, Rana has portrayed the role of a young visionary, born in a powerful yet dynamic political family. He is someone, who out of sheer choice takes up the mantle of a leadership position in a highly volatile environment, who through his revolutionary pursuits, creates and implements a wish list of sorts for greater governance in a short span.