Rana Daggubati clearly enjoys storytelling to the core even as he adopts a very clinical approach to any project at hand. The Baahubali star recently announced that he is all set to co-produce a biopic on former Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan.
Explaining what motivated him to bankroll the biopic, Rana shares, “This was a story that came to me from Dar films and writer/director Sripathy Rangasamy. I felt that the biopic had a lot of conflict and interesting episodes, yet was very inspiring too. Also, the gripping life tale of an international sporting legend makes for a great emotional connect. It’s definitely a story that deserves to be dramatised.”
Further, the actor-producer explains, “This is a global story for all cricket and sports fans. Muralitharan’s story will make for an entertaining film with a great sports backdrop,” adding, “An actor like Vijay Sethupathi would just add greatness with his performance.”
So is Rana a cricket buff? “I’m a film buff more than a cricket buff,” he smiles, adding that it’s too premature to comment on him playing a cameo in the biopic. “Casting is always directly proportional to the script (story). Since I am co-producing the film, it is imperative that I look at it in totality and objectively,” explains the Nenu Raju Nene Mantri actor who is looking forward to meeting Muralitharan.
For his forthcoming film Hiranya-kashapa, Rana will be seen playing the demon king in the mythical fantasy. “The film will be made on a lavish scale, and I came to the US to work on the film’s pre-visualisation concepts with various VFX companies,” he explains. Prod the actor on the rumours that he has undergone a kidney transplant in the US, and he says, “There has been enough speculation about this, and I am tired of clarifying that I am absolutely fine and healthy. Rumours on my health are now a boring topic, aren’t they? Whenever I leave Hyderabad, people get apprehensive, but I am thankful for the love and concern people have been showering on me.”
