He is a perfect example of ‘Success is not what you buy with money but earn through passion and hard work’. His villainous eyes, a well-built body, and a full-grown beard have earned him many negative and praiseworthy roles in his journey as an actor. Ramanaidu Daggubati, famously known as Rana Daggubati, is a pan India superstar who started his journey with the Telugu film industry and is now a well known name in the Hindi Film industry as well. That he was not an outsider who went on to make it big doesn’t mean his efforts were any less of an achievement. Apart from being an actor, he’s also a producer, a tech geek, who loves to explore and experiment with the latest technology, and an entrepreneur.

Cinema in Blood 

Born in Chennai, Rana was a member of the Daggubati-Akkineni family with his father being a prominent producer in the Telugu film industry and his forefathers also linked to the film line in some or the other way. A major part of his childhood was spent on movie sets due to the busy schedule of his father. He would observe things while having his meals or doing his homework sitting in one of the areas away from the camera lens. He had a comfortable life except for the little known fact that he suffered from a corneal defect since birth that rendered both his eyes useless. His parents managed to get a donor and transplanted the left eye but the right one remained numb and he still cannot see through it. But he doesn’t give much heed to this fact and continues to work hard towards his goals.

“The place between your comfort zone and your dream is where life takes place.” - Helen Keller

Virtual to Real

Before starting his journey as an actor, Rana went ahead to own a production company, Spirit Media, apart from ‘Ramanaidu Studios’ that he inherited from his father. Being independent and trying his hands at different things was the way he wanted life to be. With ‘Spirit Media’, he not only produced commercially successful films but also those who went on to win National Awards. His love for movies is complemented by his love for technology as he calls himself a ‘tech geek’ and owns ‘Anthill Studios’, a technology company that aims to bring world-class VFX to India and invests in startups that have the potential to do the same. Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and VFX are some of the areas on the radar of ‘Anthill Studios’. His love for technology doesn’t end here as he is also the owner of the south Indian arm of Kwan, a company that identifies itself as a celebrity management and services firm and also deals with digital activations and licensing. 

Inception Of A Star

Having been personally a part of the process of filmmaking for so many years, Rana was prepared to step into the world of acting and his first feature film, Leader, was released in 2010. It was a Telugu movie that went on to become a blockbuster. The very next year, he stepped into the Hindi film industry by debuting in ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ garnering applause from audiences throughout the country. His entry was highly rated and bagged him many awards on various stages. His next movies like ‘Nenu Naa Rakshasi’, ‘Naa Ishtam’, ‘Department’, etc. proved that he was ready to experiment with his characters and do justice to the number of expectations people had bestowed in him. Rana kept earning respect for the hard work that he infused all his characters with.

“To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don’t worry about darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest.” - Napoleon Hill

His biggest break was yet to come but wasn’t far away. In 2015 when ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’ was released, Rana not only played the antagonist but he had also contributed significantly to the VFX of the movie. The film gripped the entire nation and shattered almost all the records at the ticket window. He became a familiar name with the masses and cemented a place in everyone’s heart. The second part of the same film created further benchmarks while grossing over Rs. 1000 crore worldwide.

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Conclusion

Rana is inspired by the idea of storytelling and keeps searching for different ways to do it. He loves creating unique concepts with the help of the latest technology that can produce some remarkable visual effects for the viewers giving them a completely different view of what they would have been provided with otherwise. He is a phenomenal actor, a successful producer and entrepreneur, and a promoter of the latest technologies that could push the Indian Film Industry to another level. In addition to this, it is his humility that has kept him down to earth while staying on top of his game in the fields he has expertise in. All this combined makes up for one Rana Daggubati.