Full Throttle

It isn’t easy to talk mid-workout, but Rana Daggubati manages to pull it off in this charming, motivational interview, where he takes us through the cinematic journey that started out from him being the guy behind the camera to the one in front of it. Standing an astounding six feet three inches tall, currently, he has been flaunting his lean physique, which is also for his upcoming project Haathi Mere Saathi. He had initially hit headlines for his amazing Hulk-like looks and fierce expressions as seen in Baahubali. Edited excerpts…

How did the switch from being an entrepreneur and visual effects coordinator to cinema come about?

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The switch really happened in the year 2007-2008, when visual effects was still not the big thing in films, We were a smaller service house back then after which I sold out the business and went into gaming for a very brief time before I started acting in the films. Now, there was a different kind of cinema and stories that I preferred over others, for which my first step was to take time off and learn acting and I enrolled myself in theatre classes. For me it was a transition from storytelling to acting. After a year I received my the first film - Leader (2010).

After making your Telugu debut in 2010, you made your 2011 Bollywood debut in Dum Maaro Dum which marked you as a promising newcomer. How do you look at your career graph from then to now?

Dum Maaro Dum happening right after Leader was probably the best thing that could happen to me. I was exposed to two different industries, their styles of storytelling and various filmmakers; it opened a world of opportunities which was bigger than that of Telugu cinema. As an actor my constant effort is to involve myself in films that have stories that cross language and emotional borders, the ones that can travel. I have done films in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi and aim at showcasing my hardwork across mediums.

Ghazi and Baahubali became extremely successful franchises for me that put me out on the world map. Moreover, recently I have been in a positive spirit, and I believe that’s the mantra I need to follow for years to come.

Having established yourself as one of the leading actors in Telugu cinema, and also being able to achieve pan-Indian appeal by taking up a variety of roles, from supporting to leading characters, in different languages; what have your learning’s and challenges been?

By working in multiple industries I am more aware of the insights that are at play, be it the thought process of various directors, the fitness philosophy of gym trainers and more so the social and economic differences that are vividly apparent in each of them. Each industry has opened up and welcomed me with open hands thereby giving me a boost in my journey.

The challenge would be making a film in multiple languages, as you have to repeatedly act and enact the same instances again and again. Such as in the case of my recent film Hathi Mere Saathi, which should be out in the summer of 2020, wherein we shot thrice with an independent cast. There were Bollywood actors for the Hindi version, Tamil actors for the Tamil version yet a few of us remain constant in the film across. Even though it might look difficult in the beginning, but the end result comes out to be fruitful as it serves across language barriers.

Throughout your career, you haven’t been afraid to play the anti-hero, and many of your roles have had grey shades. Is that a choice you make?

The choice of role whether its good or bad, negative or positive really doesn’t matter as long as I like the role and can relate to it. The best aspect of my job is that I get to be a different character with every film, I can give each role my personal touch which allows me to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself to be a better version of myself with every film.

In the last two years, the regional boundaries are blurring in Indian cinema. Has Baahubali given you the confidence to experiment in the Hindi film industry?

I am a firm believer that art transits boundaries and units and I think Baahubali really was a film which helped people, filmmakers and storytellers to dream big. Over the years I have been learning on how to breakthrough stigmas and make stories that travel from one place to another. I think Baahubali really was the gateway that made everyone aim big, and unleash their creativity in a sense that would be appreciated by audiences all across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam or in every region, that we went into.

Taking queue from Baahubali, as Bhallaladeva in the film, we saw a never seen before avatar of yours. Having said that nothing goes down without hard work, patience and dedication. Take us through your fitness transformation process for the role?

The character of Bhallaldeva is written and described so majestically that as an actor you aim to go through leaps and bounds to do complete justice to it. And my job as an artist requires me to transform my body for every role and every film. I would not advice anyone else to go through such a massive transformation, unless and until they are not into the field of acting.

Given your tall lithe frame and chiselled physique, there must be moments when you would be overwhelmed with female attention. How do you handle it, given your shy demeanour?

It does get overwhelming at times but it isn’t like I am your ideal romantic hero nor do I do love story based films. But the end line is, when something good is coming your way then one should not question it.

What gives you the motivation to workout and improve yourself regularly? Also, what does a typical day of eating and exercise look like for you?

The motivation for me comes from the character that I am pursuing, because most of them are action-based films where one needs a lot of physical transformation. Herein I am constantly on a diet which drives me to achieve the physique that I want.

Have you thought of exploring the digital platform? Also do you see fitness and technology really being effective together?

The digital platform is completely changing the way filmmakers and audiences view content. There is so much happening, and herein filmmakers have the freedom to narrate a story by stepping back in time and they also have the opportunity to create masterpieces that can be 100 hours, 20 hours od even 10 minutes long. I think a platform offers a completely different narrative, and I look forward to doing something in the digital space for sure.

Fitness and technology are meant to be together, and today you can view a lot of tech in fitness, be it the apps that monitor how you train and what you eat to even the machines that your use. But I think I am still a little more basic in that sense, I like following simple diet plans and lifting heavy weights while I train at the gym.

What is your take on nutrition and supplements?

While I was training for my physique transformation in Baahubali, I was required to eat a certain amount of carbohydrates and protein to look a certain way. I was training to become a big guy who is immensely powerful. But those supplements were all taken for the film. Nowadays I only eat as much as I want to as there is no requirement for me to become Bhallaldeva at the moment again.

If you could have one cheat day and eat anything without any consequences, what all would you indulge in?

I live in Hyderabad, and a cheat day for me is mostly the typical cuisine that the state boasts of, such as Biryani and a lot of meat, I think that us pure indulgence.

The entertainment industry comprises of hectic schedules with unending working hours, how are you so dedicated to working out?

There was a noteworthy saying by Joe Weider, “Find time for fitness, not excuses,” and I abide by it. Films being a visual medium require an actor to look the part and that is enough of a motivation for me. And when I need to look right then I make sure to make time out for it.

What kind of a workout are you following these days, given that you have to constantly work on your body transformation for every role?

My last two films - N.T.R: Kathanayakudu wherein I play the role of N. Chandrababu Naidu required me to look like him when he was very young. For the same role I had to drop a lot of weight that I had gained from Baahubali. And in the film Haathi Mere Saathi I was required to be strong but also very lean as my character lives in a jungle.

For this transformation I was required to eat lesser carbohydrates and focus more on cardiovascular and athletic training. My next project - Hiranaykhasyap that I will be starting soon, requires me to bulk back up and you will see a slightly bigger me in the next couple of months.

Tell us something about your upcoming projects.

I have a film called Hathi Mere Saathi coming out this summer, wherein I play a man who has been living in the jungle for the past 25 years. My role demanded a character where I was leaner and had a long beard. Part of the film will be out in January 2020.

How was your experience of shooting with FHM India?

I really liked it, it was a smooth process and I would like to thank the entire team.

What do the first 60-90 minutes of your day look like? I take out time to breathe and enjoy the simple things in life. After that my fitness training depends upon the film that I am pursuing and my character in it, if I have to be a big guy or a lean one. I start with cardio early in the morning or else I try to read a little.

What’s one fitness or health myth that people should avoid? I strongly believe that crash diet’s are something that people should avoid and rather look for a sustainable way to stay fit.

If you could choose one exercise to do every day for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? Mixed martial arts and weapon training

What does your daily workout session look like? My workout session differs from film to film, as I have just lost all the weight since Baahubali for a film that I just finished shooting for.

What is that one thing that you enjoy the most about being an actor? The fact that I am able to transform myself for every role, and do it consistently is what brings in the element of fun.

How many calories do you target at burning on a daily basis? I was bad at math even as a child which is true even today, so I don’t focus on calories and put in more effort to looking right as films are a visual medium.

How would define your diet in 3 words? Sustainable, eating right and non-complex.

How do you push yourself to workout and not procrastinate? I have a job that requires me to look a certain way, and that’s more than enough of a motivation for me.

What songs are you enjoying listening to these days? The theme song of the film The Irishman

What are you most excited for in 2020? I look forward to exploring new fitness training methods that we initially were not aware of in the past.

From the January 2020 issue of FHM India.