By Subhash K. Jha
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Southern star Rana Daggubatti, who will make his debut in Bollywood with “Dum Maro Dum”, says that he didn’t face any problem while shooting an intimate scene with his co-star Bipasha Basu.

“I was most comfortable doing it. Bipasha and I got along from day one. By the time we came to the love scene, we were friends and very comfortable with one another as co-stars,” said Rana.

Directed by Rohan Sippy, “Dum Maro Dum” also features Abhishek Bachchan and Aditya Pancholi.

“I’m very lucky to have got along well with all my co-stars in my first Hindi film. It was a different world for me. Not that I am not familiar with Hindi films and stars. Our home production has been active in Hindi for decades. But I was never looked on as South-Indian star by my co-stars in ‘Dum Maro Dum’.”

Down south, Rana has a Casanova image and recently has been linked with Sriya Saran.

Asked about the link-up, he said: “Sriya and me? That’s a new one. We’ve known each other for years. She has worked in our home productions. So yeah, she’s a friend. Beyond that I haven’t met her for months. Right now there’s no one in my life. When there is, I’ll announce it so loud every mediaperson in Mumbai will hear me loud and clear.”

“I wish some of the link-ups were true. Sadly I am only into my work. There’s no girl in my life at the moment,” said Rana who speaks fluent Hindi.

Rana is the scion of the illustrious D. Ramanaidu production house. Listed in the Guinness World Records as the most prolific Indian producer with 110 films in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and other languages, the banner, though fully active and flourishing in Hyderabad, has become inactive in Hindi cinema after the failure of their last film “Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahen” (2002).

Now Rana is all set to revive his family’s banner in Mumbai with a spectacular Hindi film on the lines of D. Ramanaidu’s Hindi blockbusters “Premnagar” and “Tohfa”. The Hindi project may star Rana with some of his “Dum Maro Dum” actors.

Confirming his plans to produce and act in a Hindi film for his home banner, Rana said: “That was definitely part of my plan from the start. See, unlike the other South Indian stars who have come to Hindi cinema after doing a dozens of films in their home language, I did one Telugu film ‘Leader’ and quickly signed a Hindi film. Now that ‘Dum Maro Dum’ is nearly complete, I’m doing two Telugu films and then the Hindi film.”

Mention Suriya, who would be making his Bollywood debut at around the same time, Rana said: “Suriya has been a superstar in Tamil for years. I saw his films when I was in school. I think I’m close to Bollywood because being a Hyderabadi I speak fluent Hindi.”

Unlike other Southern stars trying to consolidate their position in Bollywood, Rana doesn’t feel the need to relocate to Mumbai. “I’m just a flight away from Mumbai. After Mumbai producers see me in ‘Dum Maro Dum’, they’ll know how serious I am about my career in Mumbai.”