After proving his worth in a role that demanded subtlety coupled with dignified performance in his maiden film, Rana Daggubati goes for a complete makeover in his second Telugu film, Nenu Naa Rakshasi directed by Puri Jagannath. This time Rana plays a macho man with a romantic heart. Ileana takes up the role of a dare devil damsel, the love interest of the protagonist. And he calls her his ‘rakshasi' perhaps as a sobriquet.
The lead pair was on location at the Golconda Fort the other day facing the camera handled by Amol Rathod. Producer Nallamalapu Srinivas (Bujji) was spotted sitting before the video screen. He is one of those rare breed of producers who gets involved in every craft of production and is not a mere head cashier as some of his ilk are made to be.
Rana and Ileana listen attentively to Puri Jagannath while Abhimanyu Singh (of Raktha Charitra fame) waits for his block to be shot. After taking a dialogue scene on the lead pair, the director had a word with fight master Vijay who was waiting to take over.
After a brief recess, the action episode commences. Rana takes on Abhimanyu Singh in accordance with the action movements composed by Vijay. Hard practice must have gone into the scene before the take, as both Rana and Abhimanyu were completely at ease in the natural looking bouts and fist fights that are fast paced and both the actors are menacingly at their best.
Rana plays a killer and a romantic in this action packed love story while Ileana is cast in a role that has loads of allure, informs Bujji. The unit had returned to Hyderabad after shooting in Venice and Bangkok where four songs (composed by Viswa and debutant Rehman) were canned along with pivotal scenes. In Venice along with the lead pair, Ali and Mumaith Khan were also involved in the shoot.
“We have completed 95 per cent of the movie. The rest will be shot in Hyderabad,” said Bujji. Most of his blockbusters came from V.V. Vinayak and he is working for the first time with Puri Jagannath. “After Vinayak, it is with Jagan that I am most happy to work with. He creates a tension free atmosphere on the sets and has clarity of thought and is fast paced. ” It is also the first time Rana and Jagan are coming together while Ileana had already worked with him in the block buster Pokiri .
Nenu Naa Rakshasi is slated for release in the second week of January.
