I chose acting because real life is boring-Rana Daggubati
8:47 AM
Posted by Fenil Seta
Rana Daggubati on living, breathing films, and his frustration over the ‘south wala’ tag
Deebashree Mohanty (TIMES LIFE; January 12, 2020)
Describe your regular day…
I wake up at 5 am and hit the gym for rigorous training. It’s is my DND time – I don’t even look at my phone till about 9 am. In the last month or so, I’ve been waking up much earlier… don’t know why, but I’m not complaining. I just feel there is much more time in the day when you wake up early. For example, your thoughts are not hurried up, you can give clear instructions – pack a lot in a day’s work. I have had to tweak my routine a little. I used to sleep pretty late. But now, because I train so much, the moment I hit the bed, I am lost to the world.
You’re 35, and have spent 17 years in the industry. What keeps you going?
I chose acting as a profession because I found real life to be very boring. As an actor, I can do stuff which I cannot do in reality. I get to be a WW2 war hero or be in a submarine. I have always fantasised about being a part of mythology, or a universe very different from the one we are living in. I like complex characters. I like politics… and these are some of the roles that I’m playing right now.
Do you have something concrete in mind while choosing a role?
No, I don’t have any definitive in my mind while choosing roles. If I did, new things wouldn’t come to me. I don’t want to pre-decide whether I want to play a cop in my next film... let those roles come to me organically.
Do complexities in a role attract you?
Life itself is grey, not black or white. Instead of crying over what destiny has in store for you, you can play with the complexities; and that becomes the fun part about facing life every day.
Your growing up years was all about the movies...
I have never heard of any discussion other than movies in my family. Our favourite pastime was to watch films of various genres, and I remember this since I was in the second standard. By the eighth standard, I had mastered the process of editing with a Steinbeck machine on spools, since we had an editing theatre in the basement of our house. This was what summer vacations were all about for me. When I was in the 12th standard, I had a different playground – there was a sound studio that came up next to my house, and I went there and learnt sound recording.
So, it’s fair to say you were almost living in a film all your life?
The bottom half of my house is where shootings went on almost daily. For 90 per cent of my school life, I had breakfast on a film set and went to school. Even now, I am talking to you while a shoot is going on right here in my home.
What’s your take on OTT platforms?
I think these platforms have made the industry more democratic. The web brings you together… there’s no denying that. It’s the best time for creative people. There is so much scope within the entertainment industry that we can create careers in any direction – writing, editing, direction, camera, etc... And here, nothing and no one is bigger or smaller than the other; there are different functionalities. This is a good time for producing and creating content.
Your take on Bollywood’s ‘south wala’ tag?
It irritates me no end. No industry is different from another. Ultimately, it is a camera, it is a story, it is a bunch of actors – it’s the same format. But we have created these differences between South, Bollywood, East… We have so many languages, we need to come together as one so that global audiences understand our size, diversity, scope. Baahubali did it.
How do you de-stress?
I don’t take too much stress. Everything in life comes with a set of challenges, but ultimately, if you have done it before, you can do it again, no? I think I have worked long enough to firefight well. We are far more equipped to deal with life with our experience. Also I don’t directly compete with anyone. My films are independent, if they are good they are good, if they are bad, they are bad. I am only competing with myself. That’s why stress is not a top priority.
Is there any time left for love?
There is no time... and it’s a good thing, no? I think love will figure itself out in the scheme of things. I don’t fix anything... I just let it go, and I coast. I’ve seen if you force something to happen, it always fails... that is my learning from my past relationships (laughs).
Do you have a concept of an ideal partner?
There is nothing called ‘ideal’. I enjoy talking to women I can have a fun conversation with. I believe each one of us has his/her own unique personality, and when someone tries to portray something that they are not, it’s a huge put off. My idea of a fulfilling relationship is that you should be comfortable with each another.
You have a lot of fans gushing over your style... how do you manage to keep it effortless all the time?
If you’re in the limelight, you need to look good. And it’s a combination of being fit, being blessed with good looks, being comfortable in the clothes you wear, and carrying yourself well. Along with all this, I feel you also need to speak well. My make-up artist, my stylist, my publicist, and the team, who come together to put my look together are the ones who need to be given the credit for making me desirable.
You are quite vocal on social media. How do you handle the negativity that comes with this territory?
I have a different take on this. I have been on social media for a decade now, and I understand this: it is about how much you are willing to take. Now, I am on Twitter once a day for half an hour.
If you allow yourself to get consumed by it, then it’s your problem. Don’t blame the medium. Fortunately, I am in the middle of so many things that there’s no time for me to get consumed by one thing.
SHORT TAKES
“I CAN EAT HYDERABADI BIRYANI EVERY DAY”
Comfort food: I used to be a reasonable cook when I was younger. But biryani takes too long to make, and I get too little time to relish it. So, I feel the effort is not worth it. I can run a full-fledged kitchen at home any day, but frankly would I like to do it every day? A big no.
“IT WORKS IF I KEEP MY STYLE QUITE GENERIC”
Shopping: I shop at different intervals because I start looking like a different person every few months, and my wardrobe takes a U-turn along with my most recent look. What works for me is that I keep my style quite generic. The colour palette is simple: black, blue, grey. I realised that when you are fit, anything you wear looks good.
“HRITHIK IS A STYLE ICON”
Most stylish actor: I think Hrithik Roshan is very, very stylish among Indian heroes. I can’t even think of a second name.
“NOT A PASSION ANYMORE”
Travel: I do travel a lot because of what I do, but it is not really a passion anymore. Now when I travel, I’d like to do much more in one place – understand the culture, the story telling…
This entry was posted on October 4, 2009 at 12:14 pm, and is filed under
Baahubali,
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Rana Daggubati interview
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