That’s The Best Compliment I Received For Bheemla Nayak: Rana

Rana Daggubati is delighted with the success of Bheemla Nayak starring Pawan Kalyan in the titular role. The film directed by Saagar K Chandra and produced by Naga Vamsi under Sithara Entertainments has got earth-shattering openings. The film is likely to end as one of the all-time highest grossers. Today, Rana spoke with media.

How did you feel when you watched the movie?

I was shooting nonstop for a film in Mumbai, the day Bheemla Nayak was released. I later went to watch the movie. It was a fulfilling experience to watch the movie with Telugu people around me.

What was your feeling, when you came to know Pawan will be doing the movie?

I believe in films which stay true to the genre. With a star like Pawan Kalyan doing a film like Bheemla Nayak, I expected a good starting point for Telugu cinema to experiment and venture beyond the normal.

Tell us about your journey with Trivikram?

He’s very exciting person. He’s very knowledgeable and educated person. He has great knowledge on the language and culture. We keep learning from him.

Having a reference point for a character an advantage or a disadvantage?

When I saw the original, there was same emotion carried all through. It was a lengthy movie for nearly 3 hours. We changed it according to our nativity and sensibilities. A rich politician in Telangana or AP reacts differently when compared to one from Kerala. We actually are more flamboyant. When I watched Marvels’ Iron Man, I liked Robert Downey Jr’s character. He is flamboyant and maverick in nature. I could relate Danny’s character with that.

What’s the best compliment you received so far?

My father said Bheemla Nayak is very satisfying. It’s a big compliment for me, because he usually doesn’t use superlatives. I received such compliment earlier for Baahubali.

How’s it working with Pawan Kalyan?

I’ve been exposed to cinema in a very different way, compared to probably, every actor in that sense, whether it’s going to different language or do different things. I got to work with very different stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn. When I met him, I felt that he’s a very different personality. He’s very pure soul. I hardly met him before. Meeting him so up close was very gratifying experience.

What’s Pawan’s influence on you?

Many become actors for different reasons. Over the years, I learnt how to play characters. I understood how to play characters. I didn’t understand what a hero meant. I get disconnected, if a song comes in a story. I always tried something to do, in searching hero elements. I used to keep telling my father, one day I will get one really big hit, without a song and without a fight, with just characters talking, is really what I wanted to do. The original version didn’t release in theatres and it has a cult-nature. Making it mainstream, only a hero can do it. Pawan Kalyan is that hero for Bheemla Nayak.

What kind of care you took to match with mass and cult hero like Pawan Kalyan?

I didn’t think about all these things. I just stayed with Danny’s character. I only focused on how the character works and emotes, so that I didn’t find it a challenge while shooting. Even Pawan too doesn’t carry any baggage. He too stayed true to Bheemla Nayak’s character.

What’s the toughest thing?

The toughest thing was to come out of the original and make a different movie. It’s very hard. My uncle did many remakes. But I have the fear to do remakes. Trivikram is backbone of Bheemla Nayak and the film has happened only because of him. We shot some scenes similar to the original, but we re-shot them, as we felt it’s not close to our culture. The film was verbose in Malayalam. Here we had to cut it short. Moreover, the characters have to be tweaked as per the tastes of the Telugu audience.

What do you say about picking different films?

I grew up in the film world. I learnt editing, when I was in my 5th grade. The way I look at films is different. I always want to try something I have never seen in cinema. I like to do new and different characters.

What do you say about narrating the story in Bheemla Nayak’s point of view?

When Pawan Kalyan came on board, we wanted to add more layers to the characters and not just the way Biju Menon played it in intense manner. We, Telugu audience, enjoy big things happening on screen. So, there is a change in the way Bheemla Nayak and Daniel Sekhar were presented on screen.

How’s it working with Saagar K Chandra?

Sagar is a perfectionist. He got a good control of the set and extracted what he wanted from actors. He became a more matured director with Bheemla Nayak.

What’s your favourite dialogue in the film?

‘Ey unnava poyaava’ in the climax fight is my favourite. It was so real and spontaneous.

Your comfort levels working with Sithara Entertainments?

Sithara Entertainment is a courageous production house. There is a new vigour in them. I wish to do more films with them.

Will there be a Bheemla Nayak 2?

As per my knowledge, there won’t be any sequel for Bheemla Nayak.