It could have been anyone in Baahubali and people would still watch the film: Rana Daggubati

Actor Rana Daggubati says that even if there was another actor in Baahubali instead of him, people would have gone to watch the movie.

Actor Rana Daggubati is satisfied with the path that his career is taking, and is particularly upbeat about the release of his next film, the sequel to Baahubali: The Beginning (2015). Will his portrayal of Bhallala Deva, the magnificently strong but devious prince, overshadow all his other projects?

Actor Rana Daggubati. (Yogen Shah)

Daggubati believes that the substance of the role and its place in the overall plot is far more important than the actor playing the role. “I don’t think people will come to watch a film because I’m in it. They’ll watch it because of the content, and how it holds their interest. It could have been anyone in Baahubali in my place and people would still watch the film. It’s ultimately [about] the kind of story that appeals to them,” he says.

He adds, “Each film is special. As an actor, we play a lot of characters and every project has its own charm.”

I don’t think people will come to watch a film because I’m in it. They’ll watch it because of the content, and how it holds their interest.

Daggubati, a south Indian superstar who has been a part of Bollywood films such as Dum Maaro Dum (2011), Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani (2013) and Department (2012), is fond of taking something from the sets of each film, as a souvenir.

“Memorabilia are something I like a lot,” he says. “With each film, you take back something... and it’s always nice to hold something from the time when you were telling that story. All these things belong to that tale.”

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