The route to B-Town is a tough one, especially for southern superstars. Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and Venkatesh tested waters in Bollywood but
Rana didn’t make much of an impact.

The latest to join the Bollywood bandwagon is Rana Daggubati. Even before his Tollywood debut (Leader) hits the screens, the six-footer is already shooting for Rohan Sippy’s Dum Maaro Dum (revolving around the drug racket in Goa) co-starring Abhishek Bachchan, Prateik Babbar and Aditya Pancholi. The latest buzz is Kangna Ranaut has been approached to play Rana’s romantic lead (after Priyanka Chopra reportedly rejected the same role). “I’d met Rohan a couple of times earlier, but we’d never discussed films. I was pleasantly surprised when he sent me this script and I really liked the role,” reveals Rana.

There have been rumours that the role is a negative one. “Not quite,” says Rana going on to add that the film has three important characters, played by “Abhishek, Prateik and me. I can’t say more about the role at this stage though.” Grooming for the Hindi film industry hasn’t been difficult for Rana. “I am growing my beard for the role and maintaining my fitness regimen. That apart, I am not doing anything else for now,” he adds.

A self-proclaimed Amitabh Bachchan fan, Rana feels Bollywood has “enough options and space” for actors considering both “mainstream and multiplex films are money-spinners. I am not worried about how I’ll fare in Mumbai tinseltown. I am going to give my 100 per cent to my film as usual.”

Does his Bollywood stint mean, the scion of Rama Naidu family will bid adieu to Telugu films? “No way! Telugu films are close to my heart. If I haven’t signed any Telugu film after my first one, that’s because I haven’t come across any exciting scripts,” he avers.

While it’s too early to say how the young actor will fare at the Tollywood BO later this month, seems like yet another one has been bitten by the Bollywood bug!

- Timesofindia.com