Producer-director Rohan Sippy’s gritty, hard-hitting film on the drug racket in Goa, inspired by Hollywood’s Traffic , has finally found a second hero. The role, which was initially offered to Farhan Akhtar and Emraan Hashmi, has now gone to Rana Daggubati, the Telugu star-on-the-rise, based in Hyderabad. Abhishek Bachchan is playing the lead role in the film.

Rana is a rage in the Telugu film industry after he made his acting debut with the hard-hitting political thriller, Leader . He was chosen to play Abhishek Bachchan’s co-star because he fit the bill.

A source says, “It is the character of a Goan musician. When Rohan saw Rana’s picture, he was stuck by how Goan the Telugu actor looked. The Sippys saw Rana’s film, Leader , and knew he was right. The role is as powerful as Abhishek’s.”

The formalities were completed last week. Incidentally, Rana is not new to the film world. He comes from an illustrious film family. His grandfather is Andhra-based producer D Rama Naidu (who has produced 110 films including superhits in Hindi like Prem Nagar and Tohfa ). His father is a distinguished producer Suresh Babu, while his uncle is the popular Telugu star Venkatesh.

Rana will now be another South Indian actor trying his luck in Hindi films after the likes of Kamal Haasan. Rajnikant, Chiranjeevi and Rana’s uncle, Venkatesh (who was launched opposite Karisma Kapoor in Anari by his father D Rama Naidu in 1993).

Rohan Sippy confirmed the casting, “Yes, I have signed Rana for the film I am directing.”

- Indiatimes.com