The jungle became part of my healing: Rana Daggubati on shooting for 'Haathi Mere Saathi' after kidney failure

'Haathi Mere Saathi' is an action drama that features Rana Daggubati in the role of a character named 'Bandev'

Actor Rana Daggubati, who suffered kidney failure while working on his upcoming film Haathi Mere Saathi, says that shooting for the biggie in the jungle helped him deal with the setback. In an interview with the Indian Express, he said that being in the wilderness was a part of the 'healing process'. The Leader actor added that he had no hesitation to return to the sets after the health scare as the reel world is different from the real one.

Haathi Mere Saathi is an action drama that features the Baahubali villain in the role of a character named 'Bandev', who tries to protect his friends the elephants from grave danger. The film has been directed by Prabhu Solomon and marks his Bollywood debut. The cast includes Zoya Hussain, Pulkit Samrat and Mirzapur actor Shriya Pilgaonkar. It has been shot in Telugu and Tamil as Aranya and Kaadan with Vishnu Vishal reprising the Sanam Re actor's role from the Hindi version.

All three versions were slated to release in theatres on March 26 but the Hindi one was delayed due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Also read: 'Haathi Mere Saathi' promo: Rana Daggubati fights a tough battle to save elephants

Rana began his Bollywood career with Dum Maaro Dum, which clicked with the target audience. He subsequently acted in films such as Department, Baby and The Ghazi Attack. The Baahubali films, featuring him as the villain opposite Prabhas, emerged as big hits in Hindi and opened new avenues for the heart-throb. The buzz is that Haathi Mere Saathi may prove to be a gamechanger for him.

Rana, meanwhile, is going through a busy phase on the work front. He will soon be seen in Virata Parvam, a film with political undertones. The movie has become the talk of the town as it marks his first collaboration with Fidaa star Sai Pallavi. He was to be a part of the upcoming Hindi film Bhuj: The Pride of India but opted out due to his health problems