Ramanaidu (Rana) Daggubati, 36
Actor, Producer, Media Baron
He has been a visual effects coordinator; he has had his own production company, Spirit Media; he has been an actor, most famously as Bhallaladeva in the Baahubali franchise directed by SS Rajamouli. Now he is all set to add more feathers to his metaphorical hat as creator of South Bay, a new media platform that mixes mainstream hits with cult alternatives, With a chat show anchored by a cartoon version of himself and presided over by a half man/half dog, Dingo, Daggubati says a lot about the India we are living in.
Aided by celebrity friends, he hopes to create a platform where rapper Rajakumari can co-exist with Goth music by Shruti Haasan, and where chats with director Ram Gopal Varma can go hand in hand with conversations with Lakshmi Manchu. Daggubati’s news feed is curated by a team of youngsters from Bengaluru.
Perfect for a man whose inspiration is as much George Lucas as it is Amar Chitra Katha. He’s not neglecting his film career either, with the ambitious Hiranyakashyap in the offing, among others such as the Telugu remake of Malayalam hit Ayyappanum Koshiyum and Virata Parvam.