Great time to be in movies right now: Rana Daggubati

Rana Daggubati, who started his acting career with the 2010 Telugu film "Leader", says it is a great time to be a part of the film industry right now.

"Seven years ago when I started as a film actor, I did my first film in Telugu, second in Hindi and then did a cameo in a Tamil film.

"I was hoping that at some point of my life there will be cinema that will break these barriers," Rana told reporters at the launch of "The Rise of Sivagami", a prequel to the blockbuster "Baahubali", here on Friday.

Then filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli's magnum opus "Baahubali" came to him. He played King Bhallaladeva in the film, which released across the world in different languages like Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, and minted over Rs 600 crore worldwide.

"I am sure there will be many more films that will continue to break these barriers. It's a great time to be in movies right now," he said.

"It (King Bhallaladeva) is one of the finest characters ever written. In seven years of my film career, I was part of 'Baahubali' for five years so, most of what I know is through this film," he said.

His co-star Ramya Krishnan was also all praise for her strong character in the film, whose second part will hit the screens in April.

"A character (Sivagami) which is so powerful and I get to do that...is something that doesn't happen in many people's lives. So, I am just blessed and happy," she said.

The shooting was made easy thanks to Rajamouli.

"Most of the film was shot before the release of the first part. So it was just like working on another film. If you have a director like Rajamouli then it is easy for actors," she added.

The director revealed that the audience should expect a lot of drama between her character and Maharani Devasena in "Baahubali: The Conclusion".

"Sivagami is a strong character, but Devasena is equally strong. The love and hate relationship between them forms the crucial 20-30 minute sequence which will be dramatic and attention holding. So many times I see the drama scenes between them and I forget to edit. I am fortunate to have those two characters in my film. They gave so much of depth to the film," he said.

The director was quick to add that the film's lead actor Prabhas was the one who kept reiterating that "we are not making a regional movie but a national one".