Exclusive: Rana Daggubati reveals whether Baahubali took a physical and mental toll, ‘Most of the scenes were like that’

Rana Daggubati has joined hands with filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj for the upcoming Tamil film Neelira (A Long Night). The film, releasing on April 3, blends human emotions with war drama. Ahead of its release, Kartik and Rana sat down for an exclusive chat with IHNS, and discussed the importance of this kind of cinema. The latter also talked about the challenges he faced while playing the role of Bhallaladeva during the filming of Baahubali.

When asked which scene from Baahubali had a mental and physical impact on him, Rana Daggubati told IHNS, “We shot that for six years or so. So most of them were like that. It’s not about one scene because at that time, we were also exploring how to make that film. No, it wasn’t like we had so many war films that were made. It wasn’t like there were car action choreographers or visual effects that were made.” It was pushing everyone’s boundaries. It took a master like Rajamouli and a team to come together for a vision that, usually, we can’t sustain in our minds for so long.”

Watch the full interview here:

He further added, “Just the fact that it took an entire team to make this film, that worked for six, seven years, I think was a big milestone in itself. The reason it took so long is because we were doing something so exciting. When you go on the set and say you are doing this for the first time on screen, and that’s a high standard that no one else can match. The fact that when you walk on the chariot for the first time or hold your mace So, you know, the audience is going to witness it, I think, for the first time in their lives, which outweighs all the other parts that come with it.”

Furthermore, the Rana Naidu actor also opened up about whether he was afraid that he would no longer be a hottie after Baahubali. He recalled an incident in which an immigration officer identified him as Bhallaladeva several years after the film’s release. The 41-year-old man said, “He is not an attractive person. My physical appearance has changed. So I was coming back from America, and I thought, will they recognize me now because I look so different from the person who went there, and the first person who recognized me was an immigration officer who was African-American. I took off my mask. He said, “Wow, that’s Raja Bhallaladeva. That’s all I said, boss. The film is aging beautifully,” and it’s four or five years after the film. So, I think cinema is forever. It creates an impact that doesn’t go away.”