Abhishek advised me to take up Department: Rana

Rana Daggubati, who has replaced Abhishek Bachchan in Ram Gopal Varma's Department, says that it was Junior Bachchan who advised him to take up the role. The 26-year-old, who shared screen space with Abhishek in Dum Maaro Dum, says that his prior association with the actor made it comfortable for him to step into Department without feeling too conscious about it.

"Abhishek and I have been very close to each other since we did Dum Maaro Dum together. When Ramu offered me the film, I actually went and spoke to Abhishek, who told me to go for it. This is when I gave my go ahead to Ramu," Daggubati said.

The actor who has been constantly responding to queriesrevolving around this topic says Abhishek dropped out of the
film because of genuine date issues."Abhishek was originally doing Department but then he had genuine date issues. Currently he is involved in so many other films. He is completing Players and then starting Bol Bachchan as well. This is when I came in. But I am not replacing him. After all he is senior to me while I have just started," said Daggubati.

Currently shooting in Mumbai for the film, Daggubati says that he is happy to be accepted in the industry post Dum Maaro Dum. "It is a great feeling when you get accepted. For that I have Rohan (Sippy) to thank for. He is the one who felt that I could deliver goods and roped in a newcomer like me. Working with stalwarts like Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt is no small deal. I feel really fortunate," said Daggubati.

The common factor in both films that Daggubati has doneso far is cop, crime and drama. Though in Dum Maaro Dum he
played a musician, his character does encounter cops. While in Department he is playing a cop himself.

"There is a difference. Dum Maaro Dum was an action thriller while Department is more of a dramatic tale. Ramuis shooting Department as a gritty affair and that too inreal locations. His style of making a film is entirelydifferent and I am extremely satisfied with the experience,"he said.

Daggubati is happy to be working with the man behind films like Shiva and Satya, his personal favourite. "I freak out whenever I see Shiva. His other films like Satya and Company have stayed on with me as well. No one else is making the kind of films that he does. His forte is the space of gangsters, police and politics, he can never go wrong there. Now being part of something like Department which belongs to the same space is just terrific," Daggubati said.

First Published: Sep 06, 2011 19:02 IST