The shooting of the Rana-Genelia starrer “Naa Ishtam” is almost complete with the exception of the introduction song of the film, informs director Prakash Tholeti. “We will be filming the song sequence on the picturesque shores of Malaysia. Choreographer Prem Rakshit master has reserved something special for Rana in this song,” says Prakash. He sounds all gung-ho about the music of the film, which he says will go down as one the best albums of the year. “Music director Chakri has come up with an amazing array of songs for this film. Some of the best singers in the country like Kunal Ganjawala, Adnan Sami, Mamta Sharma, KK and Shaans have lent their voice to the songs in the film.The music is going to be a rage among the audience,” he beamed, adding that Rana’s new look in the film is going to be a big highlight of the film.
SK

Times of India, Thu, 2nd February 2012

His relationship status maybe under the scanner right now but there is more to Rana Daggubati than just that!

His passion for cinema and literature is evident when you speak to him and his recent selection of movies, though unconventional, have caught the attention of many directors. Though his Bollywood debut, Dum Maro Dum didn’t do as well as expected, Rana says that he was very happy at the response he got for it.

“I have become extremely fond of Mumbai and the cast of Dum Maro Dum has become a part of my family,” says Rana, who is currently working in Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Department’.

“Initially when I used to read these reports about both of us, I didn’t know how to react to them. But now I have stopped reacting. I am very much single and that’s the truth,” Rana sums up.

Megha Shenoy, Deccan Herald, Tue, 20 Dec 2011

Birthday boy Rana Daggubati feels blessed to be working in three languages with some of the best directors, he tells Sangeetha Devi Dundoo.

Rana Daggubati, who celebrates his birthday on Wednesday, feels both blessed and lucky. “When I started working in films, I had made a wish list — I wanted to work in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films. I am lucky that I am now part of all the three industries so early in my career,” he says with a smile.

Rana’s new Telugu film, Krishnam Vande Jagathgurum, directed by Krish Jagarlamudi, will be launched on Wednesday. “I believe that the stories choose me and not otherwise. Krish’s film is an action revenge drama, where I am a stage artiste. In the last 10 years, I haven’t seen a representation of Telugu theatre in our films,” he says.

He’s been fortunate, he admits, to have worked with directors like Sekhar Kammula, Puri Jagannadh, Rohan Sippy and now Ram Gopal Varma, Vetrimaaran and Krish. “Incidentally, most of these directors moved away from their regular genre and explored an alternative space when they came to me,” he says.

2012 looks promising with Naa Ishtam and Krishnam Vande Jagathgurum in Telugu, Department in Hindi and Vada Chennai in Tamil.

Rana spent his growing years in Chennai and given his fluency in Tamil, one would have expected him to have done a Tamil film earlier. “Of course, I thought I would get to do a Tamil film after Leader. Surprisingly, Rohan (Sippy) called me for Dum Maaro Dum and the Hindi debut happened,” says Rana.

The actor was earlier slated to do a Tamil-Telugu bilingual with Selvaraghavan, which has been put on hold. “Somehow our timings never coincide. Meanwhile, Vetrimaaran offered Vada Chennai. His films Aadukalam and Polladhavan are among my favourite films. Vada Chennai is a gangster film with Simbhu and me,” adds Rana.

Before that, we will see Rana in Ram Gopal Varma’s Department and Prakash Toleti’s Naa Ishtam. Speaking of Department, Rana says, “I grew up watching RGV’s films like Shiva and much later Satya and Company. I am amazed at RGV’s understanding of how the mafia works. I don’t think any other director in India can match him on that front.” Department is a drama between an underworld don (Amitabh Bachchan) and cops (Sanjay Dutt and Rana).

Despite being part of big projects, Rana’s last two releases — Dum Maaro Dumand Nenu Na Rakshashi — didn’t set the BO on fire. “DMD got a good opening and helped me in my career. It was because of DMD that I got Department. WithNenu…, I knew I was doing a dark film. People expected another Pokiri kind of film from Puri sir. Having said that, I must mention that I really enjoyed working in the film. I believe that, sometimes, you learn more from your failures than through success.”

On a parting note, he mentions that it’s been a series of celebrations at home. “My uncle (Venkatesh)’s film Bodyguard’s audio was launched on his birthday on Tuesday and I am starting my new film to mark my birthday. There’s plenty of reason to celebrate.”

The Hindu, December 13, 2011

Victory Venkatesh continues steal hearts with the audio release of his new film “Bodyguard” on the 13th of December 2011.  Starring Venkatesh, Trisha and Saloni, the film directed by Gopichand Mallineni and produced by Bellamkonda Suresh “Bodyguard” is scheduled to release on the 12th of January 2012. The film is an official remake of Malayalam super hit “Bodyguard”.

Victory Venkatesh is also essaying the role of Swami Vivekananda’s to be directed by Mani Shankar. Currently, the script work of the film is under progress and proposed shooting will start in 2012.

Apart from teaming up with Mahesh Babu in “Seethama Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu” from December onwards, Victory Venkatesh has also given the nod for Meher Ramesh’s next film as well. Written by Gopi Mohan and Kona Venkat, the film will be produced by Paruchuri Prasad under Untied Movies banner. The film is is expected to be a high action entertainer.

Brand endorsements today determine an actor’s popularity and vice versa. What else could explain a young new actor replacing a much senior actor who has been in the industry for the past couple of years as the brand ambassador of a product? Actor Saif Ali Khan, who is one of the most famous faces when it comes to endorsements has apparently lost out on a product to actor Rana Daggubatti. Rana who made his debut in Bollywood with Dum Maro Dum became a sensation overnight and obviously the brands are looking at him as their prospective face.

A source reveals, “Saif has been endorsing this particularbrand from the past couple of years. He has also done a number of promotional activities with them which even included performing at a rock concert with rock band Parikrama. The brand too in return has been very loyal and has renewed their contract with Saif each year without fail, but recently they realised they needed to keep up with the changing times. The first thing they wanted to do was get a younger brand ambassador and the first person who came to their mind was Rana.”

Apparently, the brand is currently in talks with Rana and if all goes as planned, the actor will be on board soon enough. They are keenly looking at having him as the face of the brand as they think he has that bad-boy, rugged look that they need. The source adds, “Ever since Rana made his debut, he has been playing his cards well. He has been seen at the best events, with the best people and of course his debut film was good too. He made that impact and now obviously brands want to rope him in. We do not know if Saif knows about this, as his contract is still valid. If they want Rana on board they will have to terminate Saif’s contract and by the looks of it, it may happen soon.”

Published: Sunday, Nov 27, 2011, 9:28 IST
By Sneha Mahadevan | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

No Time For Love
Wonder, what’s keeping Rana busy? He’s the latest import from the South with just one Hindi film release (Dum Maaro Dum) to his credit, yet Rana Daggubati seems to be an in-demand rising star. Already, rumours are thick, not only of his alleged link-ups with actresses but also of how he has become ultra choosy and is turning down all those who are reportedly clamouring to offer him movies! He’s been linked to Bipasha Basu, reportedly turned down a film with Kangna Ranaut, denies  being offered Krrish 3, is said to have the meatiest role in Department overshadowing Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt and now fears he will be linked to one of his male co-stars!

Interestingly, B-town’s newest hunk has also been accused of getting preferential treatment on the sets of Ram Gopal Varma’s (Ramu) under production cop thriller Department because of his ties with director Ramu. As we sit in the cool confines of his ‘vanity’ van on the sets of Department, Rana, dressed in the costume of a police man, informs me that his co-stars, Bachchan and Dutt, will not be present for the day’s shoot. An indication of his importance in the film? As Rana says, don’t let Stardust run away with your imagination. Hear it from the man himself.

Frequent travelling to Mumbai may not exactly be helpful for a long term professional career in Bollywood. Aren’t you interested in buying a place here?
I’ve not had any issue so far because there are six to seven flights from Hyderabad to Mumbai every day. Considering the traffic in Mumbai, especially in the monsoons, I think I can reach Andheri faster from Hyderabad than from any part of Mumbai city.

You recently spent a long time in Malaysia shooting for the Telugu film, Naa Ishtam, with Genelia D’ Souza. Reportedly, it delayed Department and Ramu was upset with you because he had planned to start the film by July end.
My dates were given in chunk for Department. There’s been no confusion as far as my dates are concerned. Everything is going on time as scheduled. I finished a large portion of the Telugu film in Kuala Lumpur because I wanted to finish the entire outdoor schedule that had the Kuala Lumpur background. Otherwise they would’ve been troubled to get there and reshoot against the same visuals. After I came back I had a ten-days-break to prepare for the looks of Department. I have two looks in the film.

You’re just one film old in Bollywood. Suddenly there are huge expectations from you. The stakes are high. Do you feel the pressure?
The stakes are always going to be high, till the day you work. Ultimately, it feels nice to believe that you are doing good work in two different industries simultaneously i.e. Telugu and Tamil. I’ll soon start work on my first Tamil film. Working in different language films at the same time and managing to get good work is always a blessing.

In one of your interviews, you said that Department will bring ‘grit’ back into the action genre. Elucidate please.
Department is a very realistic cop drama. The genre was a rage sometime ago but then suddenly it disappeared because people stopped making action films. It’s a fairly popular genre considering regional language films. I watch more regional cinema, so the liking that I have for the genre and the liking that people have for the genre is very high. We’ve grown up watching cop dramas. So watching that back on screen in almost the real kind of space would be very exciting.

Considering the subject and genre of Department, parallels will be drawn to successful cop dramas like Dabangg and Singham. What’s different about Department?
Department is not in that space at all because it’s very realistic. Those were very commercial and hero-oriented subjects with good songs, and other masala ingredients. Department is going to be a real-life drama, something that’s happening inside the police department, which outside people wouldn’t know. That’s the kind of approach the film has.

Ram Gopal Varma has been your family friend. That assures you that your character will get enough screen time and prominence in the company of stars like Big B and Sanjay Dutt.
The screen time and prominence I get would be as per the story that is written and not because Ramu is a family friend. Ramu must’ve thought that I’m fit for this part which is why he pitched it to me. And after reading the script I thought this is something I could do justice to and want to be a part of, which is why I did it. Just because Ramu is a family friend doesn’t mean, he’ll write a character for me.

Ramu was all praise for you when I met him few days before he started work on the film. He said, ‘If Rana’s put in the right, intense role, he could work wonders.’ It seems you can’t go wrong as far as this film is concerned?
I’m really flattered. See it’s not just about Department; it’s about any film or character that I portray to the best of my ability. The best comes depending on how I understand the script and the character – whether I play a politician in Leader, a musician in Dum Maro Dum or a cop in Department. What you’ll be seeing of me as an actor will ultimately depend on the amount of knowledge I have to get into those characters.

Do you think Department would give you more exposure? Those who haven’t seen DMD yet, will get to know what Rana Daggubati is all about?
Ultimately, how a film will do at the box office and what kind of exposure I’ll get is anybody’s guess, because it’s the Friday that decides a movie’s fate. As far as my job goes, I am concerned with the content of the film, the character and the intent of the writer. After doing five to six readings of the script, I pick my character and pull it out as a separate story by itself. The writer has never imagined me; he has imagined the character and written it accordingly. How do I start and end it better than what he’s written is my only objective. I don’t feel like getting into box-office numbers. It’s a never-ending game. I think as an actor that should worry you last.

In your last interview, you said that you’ve not signed Krissh sequel yet, which you were hoping to. Vivek Oberoi is playing that part now. Do you think you’ve missed out on a big opportunity?
I said I haven’t signed any film yet. I mark my words very clearly before giving interviews, especially to Stardust. I’m working on two films right now. One is Naa Ishtam and the other is Department. The other two films which are yet proposals would be regional films.

You’ve not answered my question. You being approached for Krrish can’t just be a rumour?
I keep reading rumours about me in Mumbai or even when I’m out of town surprisingly. I’m an easily accessible actor. I’m on Twitter and very active on the microblogging site. I tweet about things that I do throughout the day. If I’m doing a film then obviously I’ll be the first one to announce it. If you meet producers or filmmakers, people think they must be doing a film together. It doesn’t have to be that way. There have been about six to seven Telugu films that I’m in talks with presently but finally I might settle for one out of those six discussions. Meetings don’t generally mean anything.

So you mean a meeting for Krrish didn’t happen?
I was never offered Krrish.

Are you doing Rajshree Ojha’s love story Kris And Suri with Kangna Ranaut or that was also a rumour?
You’re right, it’s again Mumbai media-manufactured false news item. I have no idea about it.

You were supposed to promote a mobile network brand before Dum Maaro Dum but you backed out the last minute because you wanted to start off with a bigger brand to add value to your brand equity, which means you knew that you’re going to make it big in Bollywood.
I’m not that qualified to understand the endorsements work pattern. I understand films and enjoy the whole process. I don’t understand that space very well. I have got a team which is effectively handling that part of my work. I still don’t understand what making big and what not making big is. I’m only clear of the kind of cinema that I want to do.

There’s an endless list of the actresses you’ve been linked with – Bipasha Basu, Sonam Kapoor, Shriya Saran and now Genelia D’ Souza (during the shooting of the Telugu film Naa Ishtam!) You’re turning out be quite a ladies’ man!
The media linked me with Genelia because we have done a film together. It has become like an outgoing process for me. Earlier I used to get stressed wondering what the media would come up with. But now I don’t even bother to read. If someone has decided to write about my affair, let them write it. In my case it has been only smoke and no fire. If you say that I’m seeing an X actress, your story should have some kind of truth or some detail in it. I’m not the kind of person who would hide anything. I’m fairly open about everything. Since Department is dominated by a male cast, let me see who they link me with (laughs aloud).

So you’ll scream from the rooftop when you’re in love…
I would love to but I’m still trying to figure out what love is. I have no time for love. First, let me get an understanding of that and then we’ll put a person in it.

Talking about Bipasha, few months ago at an event in your hometown Hyderabad, you were over-protective of her to the extent that you warned the media not to ask her any personal questions. Come on, that wasn’t required!
We were there to promote a film, so the attention was not supposed to be on the promoters, but on the film. It was my hometown so I would have done that for any other co-star as well. People wrote about it just because it was Bipasha, you know that?

But Dum Maro Dum is past tense; you’re still linked with Bipasha?
As I said earlier when there’s no truth to it, how does it even matter? I would love to be a part of something that’s true about me. I consider it newspaper filler. I know you guys are always on the look out for controversies, and need that one quote to fill your space. If there’s anything that needs to be told I would come forth and say it before the media.

You’re the face of the Hyderabad International Fashion Week. As an actor how do you visualise the event’s format and what’s your contribution to it?
When the organisers approached me, I instantly decided to be part of it because it’s Hyderabad based. I feel that you get to hear a lot of fashion and hi-glamour events happening in world cities like Mumbai and Delhi. Though there was a lot of infrastructure in Hyderabad. There was never a visible platform. I always wanted to be associated with these things. Hyderabad has about eighteen design schools which teach fashion design. Most of the students go out of town and work in other places. For example in Mumbai and Delhi you already have machinery but in Hyderabad we don’t have that kind of platform. We need to have more such machineries and institutions. So I guess initiatives like these would help Hyderabad in many ways to form alternative careers and industries.

Some producers complain that you’ve become extra choosy when it comes to signing films. True?
Interestingly, there’s a little disconnect the way people in Hyderabad think about me because for them I’m only doing Naa Ishtam. They don’t know that I’m doing Department. But for me it is both. They stick to the assumption that I’m not doing anything else. Two films almost require 200 days of shooting and dubbing a film. How much work can you do? I’m doing two films simultaneously for the first time. I’m not even listening to any script immediately because I have to finish these two films first. Only after that I can think of getting my mind into something else.

Before starting work on your Telugu film, you said that you find it difficult doing a rom-com. Is it because you think the audience won’t accept you as a lover boy?
See comedy is a different genre altogether. It’s kind of picking up timing which is written. Sometimes the kind of timing that’s written and the kind of timing that you have can be two different things.

What are your limitations as an actor?
There was a Telugu film I liked very much but unfortunately couldn’t do it because my structure and size didn’t allow me. It was a love story almost in the Rain Man (Hollywood film starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise) kind of space. We did a little test shot but we were very skeptical about whether I would look that part because of my size. In terms of references, I had Dustin Hoffman, Tom Hanks and Kamal Haasan. Physically they are very small men to pull that role beautifully. Imagine a picture of a huge guy like me in that frame. It wasn’t looking visually correct. As an actor I’m very limited by size but I’m happy about it because I believe that’s my strength in many other ways. The limitations will come only in the characters I would get to play. I guess to each his own.

You’ve said that your dream girl shouldn’t be outspoken. What if you come across a girl like that and instantly fall in love with her?
I don’t mind if the girl that I fall for is outspoken. All of us have an assumption of something. None of us clearly know what. There’s an interview read recently which said, ‘All of us like to believe that we are damn good in relationships. But we actually don’t know what happens till you get into it’. I’m like that. So it’s a question that I would be able to answer only when I actually fall in love.

By Dhiren J. Trivedi, Stardust