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Exclusive| Rana Naidu 2 actor Rana Daggubati: Globally, theatres are on a decline
Actor Rana Daggubati feels that the Telugu film industry is emerging in times when the theatres biz is coming down
Actor Rana Daggubati, who has been a part of Indian cinema for almost 15 years, says that the Telugu industry is showing remarkable growth, be it global success stories like the Baahubali and Pushpa series, and RRR (2022), or smaller films.
“Globally, the theatres are on a decline in some manner. Seven or eight years ago, there were three times the number of theatres that there are today,” shares the 40-year-old, who will next be seen in the web series Rana Naidu 2, adding, “Now, there are so many more mediums of entertainment or content viewing, be it OTT, YouTube or just something on your phone.”
Despite the challenges, he remains optimistic: “Cinema will always find its beat; there are a few things that are still communal as watching a film together — that doesn’t go away easily.”
He cites actor Priyadarshi Pulikonda’s Telugu legal drama Court as an example of how good cinema still resonates, despite a small budget.
“There are so many independent films that have become popular, which wouldn’t have been the case a few years ago. Like Court which has done very well. Such films are almost getting to mainstream numbers,” he says.
Rana also praises the Telugu industry’s diversity and affordability. “Telugu is doing better than the other industries because of the larger variety of stuff that is being produced. And the cost of going to cinema in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is still not as expensive as Mumbai and Delhi.”
Regarding the expectations of pan-India blockbusters from Telugu films, he emphasises that not every story is meant to be universal.
“Some things are just for a local market. You need that cultural understanding. Having said that, there are also films made with the clear intention of reaching audiences across the country, and that has been happening,” he ends.
