Rana Daggubati reveals health crisis cost him films; 'I was returning advances back'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Rana Daggubati reveals health crisis cost him films; 'I was returning advances back'")
Rana Daggubati Photograph: (AFP)
Rana Daggubati recently opened up about an emotional phase of his career when he no longer fit the physical image filmmakers had in mind for him after recovering from an illness.
Rana Daggubati, who is best known for playing Bhallaladeva in Baahubali, recently opened up about the personal and professional toll of his life-threatening health crisis. The actor revealed that he had returned advances for several films because he no longer fit the physical image filmmakers had in mind for him.
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Rana Daggubati on returning advances
During a conversation with Rhea Chakraborty on her podcast Chapter 2, the actor shared about the period when he suffered kidney failure and heart-related issues after the success of Baahubali. Daggubati had to travel to the United States for treatment and underwent a transplant, followed by spending almost a year in recovery.
Daggubati revealed that when he returned to India, his leaner appearance no longer matched the muscular roles he had previously been chosen for. "I had a bunch of films I was supposed to do… There was a story of a big wrestler and those kinds of films. I didn’t look like any of those guys. I was returning advances back and all that was going on," he shared.
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Chakraborty described him as once being seen as “the hot guy from Hyderabad” trying to break into Bollywood. He admitted that while being sick the image and stardom were irrelevant. "Staying alive was my first concern," he said.
Daggubati on emotional impact
He also spoke about how the transformation impacted him emotionally. The actor recalled a moment when his friend Varun Tej came to meet him. "Halfway through the conversation, he started looking more like the old me than I did," Rana said. "Not recognising a version of yourself is strange. If I weren’t an actor, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to cope with that."
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Selective projects after recovery
After his recovery, Daggubati became selective while choosing films. In 2025, he featured in Kaantha, led by Dulquer Salmaan, and also co-produced the film. He also had cameo appearances in Mirai and Parasakthi. Alongside, on OTTs, he returned with Rana Naidu Season 2 and hosted The Rana Daggubati Show.
