I Have Been Busier Than Ever in the Lockdown: Rana Daggubati

Actor Rana Daggubati understands time is of the essence, which is why the 'Bahubali' star didn't let the pandemic come in the way of getting engaged to his real life love interest. It's also the reason why he's the face of Tissot, a leader in the Swiss traditional watch industry.

Along with being one of the most successful stars of South Indian cinema, Daggubati is extremely popular in Bollywood and a renown name across Indian households. The actor-producer firmly believes that "Time is temporary films are forever." IANSlife caught up with the star to talk movies and life during lockdown. Read Excerpts:

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Would you agree that you can count yourself as one of the most successful "crossover" actors (for lack of a better word)?

Daggubati: Indian cinema today is not restricted to any language. It doesn't matter what the language of the film is; if it's a story you want to tell, just go ahead and tell it. So I focused on the script and that led to interesting career choices in Telugu and Hindi.

Share with us a few details about your upcoming releases.

Daggubati: There are two films lined up. One is 'Haathi Mere Saathi', a multi-lingual release in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil. It's a beautiful tale of the nature of relationship between man and the wild…perhaps a lot more relevant now.

The other one I have is this beautiful love story set in the 90s Telangana, in which I play a poet-rebel. It's called 'Virataparvam' and it stars Sai Pallavi, Nandita Das and Zarina Wahab.

When you are not working, how do you spend your time?

Daggubati: In general, I am a guy with many interests. So, it's not difficult to keep me engaged. I like to read a lot, so whenever I have a chance I catch up on my reading. It transports you into a world that is much better than the current, real one.

How are you dealing with this Lockdown?

Daggubati: It might be surprising to hear this, but I have been busier than ever in the lockdown, and that too doing some really really exciting stuff. I realised that for a long time, we might have to hold on to the shoots, the sets and the big crews. So here I am sitting and telling stories through animation! I am currently developing a lot of shows, from talk shows to documentaries and music videos. With animation, your imagination is your only limitation really. And thankfully my imagination has kept me company in the lockdown (laughs).

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When it comes to your personal style, what is your go-to outfit?

Daggubati: My go-to would always been a comfy Tee, a pair of jeans. It's the footwear and shoes that I have fun with, while keeping the tee and jeans pretty basic. Functional, comfortable with a hint of personality is what I would say my personal style would be.

How do you think Tissot compliments your style and vice versa?

Daggubati: Like I said, my style comes from a very functional and comfortable space. And that's who I am through and through. And so Tissot watches are my go-to accessories to accentuate a look. Like, T-Classic collection has a very sleek design, making it really sophisticated. One days I feel a bit bolder, I just pick the T-Sport chronographs. The brands diverse range works with the many hats I have to wear in a day – as an actor, producer, artiste.

Your favourite Tissot timepiece

Daggubati: My personal favourites are Tissot Carson Premium, Tissot Seatstar 1000 Quartz and Tissot Trace. (IANS)