Rana Daggubati birthday special: Interesting facts about the ‘Baahubali’ star

He is tall, well-built, handsome and is taking over the film industry, be it in Tollywood or Bollywood. The actor in question in none other than Rana Daggubati, who is celebrating his 32nd birthday today. Most people know him for his memorable role of Bhalladeva in ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’ and as Jai Singh Rathore in Akshay Kumar’s ‘Baby’. However, there is a lot more to this handsome hunk than meets the eye. So, on Rana Daggubati's special day, we have drawn up a list of interesting facts about the star.

Started as visual effects coordinator

In a film industry where even having the remotest tie to a powerful family lands you a lead role, Rana was a bit of an exception. Even though he belonged to the all mighty Daggubati clan, he started out as a special effects coordinator. Following his passion, the actor initially worked in the visual effects department for the Mahesh Babu starred ‘Sainikudu’ in 2006. He even won a Nandi Award for his efforts, which is one of the highest honours in Tollywood. It was only years later that he stumbled upon a career in acting when he bagged a part in the 2010 film ‘Leader’ and the rest is history.

Kamal Haasan and Sridevi fan

Rana is a self-confessed fan of legendary actors Kamal Haasan and Sridevi. In fact, Ulaganayagan played a big inspiration while the hunky star prepped for his character Bhalladeva in ‘Baahubali’. Apparently, Rana paid close attention to Kamal’s act in the cult classic ‘Nayagan’ to get the nuances of playing an aged man. Rana has also studied the veteran actor in detail and continually draws inspiration from him.

Incredible transformation for Baahubali

Even though he has always maintained a muscular physique, Rana had to go to incredible lengths to bulk up for ‘Baahubali’. In fact, he put on a whopping 110 kilos to play the character of older Bhalladeva in the first instalment of the SS Rajamouli film. To do this, he had to increase his meat consumption considerably to attain the right amount of muscle. Apparently, the actor consumed up to 40 egg whites each day! That's not all, after bulking up, he had to lose around 20 kilos to play the younger version of the cruel king in ‘Baahubali 2’.

Besties with Ram Charan

One of the oldest and closest friends of Rana is actor Ram Charan. The two have been thick friends from childhood and even studied in the same school in Chennai. Rana even knew Ram’s wife Upasana who was a junior in the same school as well as Allu Arjun’s wife Sneha, who was his classmate. Of course, with so much history, the two stars continue to remain very close.

Emotional person in real life

It is said that Rana is actually quite an emotional person in real life. In fact, the actor often breaks down while watching emotional scenes in films. Of course, it is actually very endearing to see that this macho man also has a soft side.

Ardent Kabaddi fan

The ‘Baahubali’ actor is the brand ambassador for the Pro Kabaddi League, but his involvement with the sport does not end there. He is an ardent supporter of the team Telugu Titans and can be often seen on social media cheering on and motivating his team. Not just that, he also attends many matches of the Telugu Titans shows his support in person too. So, it does not need to be said that he really loves Kabaddi.

Turned coolie for a good cause

In order to help the poor and make a difference in society, actress Lakshmi Manchu started a show called ‘Memu Saitham’. For the show, actors had to do odd jobs in order to earn a sum of money that would, in turn, be donated to the poor. Rana was one of the first few celebrities to volunteer for the good cause. The actor took up the task of working as a coolie in a busy Hyderabad market. The actor went a step further by multiplying his earnings of the day by a hundred and donated it to the poor. Rana was also very actively involved in helping people to find food, water and shelter during the Chennai floods last year and lent his support during the recent Hyderabad floods.