JOIN USRana Daggubati is on a roll. The serious-looking, tough star on screen is, in reality, one of the most fun-loving, pleasant stars that you can possibly hope to have a candid conversation with. The star has had two releases so far (The Ghazi Attack and Baahubali 2) this year, and the producers of both the films had every reason to sport a smile as one emerged a superhit and the other a blockbuster. Now, as his next film, Nene Raju Nene Mantri (Naan Aanaiyittal in Tamil), gets ready for release on August 11, Sunday Herald catches up with the star to know more about the film. Edited excerpts follow…
How has life changed after ‘Baahubali’?
I have been a part of a lot of cool cinema this year and I owe this to Baahubali’s success. Because now we are able to do many different kinds of films sitting in one city called Hyderabad.
It has given me a licence to experiment with newer forms and formats in films. On a lighter note, whoever starts a war film thinks of me now. The film can be in any language, but if there is a war film, they think of me.
I like to experiment. I like to have a new backdrop every time. It was war first, then there was submarine, and now there’s politics. My next will be set in the Madras Presidency during the British period. It is about how we Indians were during the British Raj.
Tell us about ‘Nene Raju Nene Mantri’.
This is a film that is special to me because of Teja-sir. Even while I was studying, Teja-sir was a cult classic director. His name wouldn’t appear in the beginning of a film. It would appear in the middle. The screen would read, ‘Story, Screenplay, Direction — Teja’. I have sat in theatres and clapped for him, and I am thrilled to work with him now. I have learnt a lot from him.
He gave me this character called Jogendra. After dubbing, I watched the entire film once again. The character I saw on screen and I have nothing in common. He’s really made me into somebody else.
I believe that an actor is only as good as the characters that are written for him. This is a character I will always cherish all my life. Teja-sir has been in Chennai for several years and has a lot of knowledge, and is a big fan of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MGR. So, whatever he writes, it will have the philosophy of the great MGR.
One inspiration for me for doing this film is the movie Amaithipadai, in which Sathyaraj-sir plays the lead. I’ve always liked films like that. There is a bad guy but you like that guy. Although we speak so much about this film’s dialogues and its politics, the soul of this film is really a love story. It is the story of a husband and wife. My character’s actual name is Jogendra, but he takes his wife’s name after his marriage and becomes Radha Jogendra. And whatever happens in this story is because of the love this man has for his wife. This is the story of a simple man who goes into a very complex world — the grey areas of life like politics, power, wealth.
The posters of this film show you sporting jewellery on your ear lobe. What exactly is that?
In a part of the film, we wanted to show Jogendra’s arrogance. He sustains an injury on his ear lobe and he needs to overcome that injury. How he does that is by putting gold on it.
Has your character in this film been fashioned on one person?
It is not based on one particular person. There were certain incidents that took place in Uttar Pradesh. There was an incident in Russia. We took a lot of information about a lot of politicians like that and made that the journey of this one guy.
Your experience working with Kajal Aggarwal…
This is my first film with Kajal. Teja-sir was fixed on the fact that Kajal must do this role even while writing the script. This is the story of a husband and wife. So, the person who is playing Kajal’s role can’t be too young and she can’t be too mature as well. She must have an innocence, but at the same time, she must have the maturity of a wife. And Kajal was the right person for this role. Her character, Radha, is the most important person in this film. Whatever happens in this film is only because of her.
Has the film been tweaked for Tamil audiences?
The tale remains the same, but some actors will be different in the Tamil version like Nasser-sir, Jagan, and so on.
Finally, a drugs scandal has been rocking the Telugu film industry. What are your thoughts on it?
I have been following it. It’s been a big issue for the last couple of months because it has got into schools now. I feel if the person is of age and he does something, it really doesn’t matter to me or my city. But if it is influencing youngsters, that’s a problem. I think we just have to focus on what the real problem is, get there and clean it up.