One of India’s foremost cinematographers, SS Rajamouli’s brilliant work has impressed millions of viewers in terms of both creation and entertainment. The recent documentary on Netflix, Modern Masters, has revealed many unknown facts about both the filmmaker’s life and work.
For instance, Rana Daggubati in one of his revelations on the show revealed how he was not the first choice of actor to play the antagonist Bhallaladeva in Rajamouli’s hit series Baahubali.
In this 73-minute documentary, Rana Daggubati opens up about his experiences working with SS Rajamouli. Among other revelations, the Rana Naidu actor surprisingly revealed that when the makers of Baahubali talked about finalising the role of the villainous and tyrannical King Bhallaladeva, he was not the first choice as the actor.
Recalling the incident, Rana revealed the conversation he had with the producer of the film and said, “Producer Shobu Yarlagadda came to me and told me that it is a historical war film and they are looking at me to play the villain. I replied that I would love to tell the story.” He further added, “I also asked him, ‘Which actor did you approach before approaching me?'”
Completing the anecdote, Rana revealed that he was surprised to learn that Rajamouli and the producers had tried to approach Aquaman-star Jason Momoa before him for the role. Expressing his surprise on hearing this, Rana revealed that he felt flattered that he was considered second after such an international star.
Rana said, “When Shobu told me about it, I thought, “Ah, great! It’s Khal Drogo and me, in that order. I said, ‘Okay, that’s a good second number!'”
Moving on, the actor compared the character of Bhallaladeva, which he played, to Jason Momoa’s on-screen character Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones.
Citing a clear difference in the structure of these different roles, Rana said his character in Baahubali is one that the audience can connect with emotionally.
Jason Momoa’s Khal Drago, on the other hand, has a very specific purpose to fulfill, and there’s more practicality to it than any emotional connection.
Talking about Rana Daggubati’s work, he was last seen in the Tamil film 1945. After this, he did a notable cameo in the Telugu film Spy. Next, he will be seen in Rajinikanth’s film Vettaiyaan.
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