Rana Daggubati opened up about battling kidney failure and heart complications after Baahubali, revealing how survival became his only focus. The actor admitted his drastic physical transformation left him disoriented as he stepped away from big-budget roles
Rana Daggubati
Rana Daggubati is not just an actor but also a producer and a champion of Indian cinema. Long before the term “pan-India” became popular, the actor was working across multiple languages. He gained nationwide fame with his antagonist role in S.S. Rajamouli’s Baahubali. His towering presence and powerful physique made him one of the most formidable on-screen villains. However, life had other plans.
Rana Daggubati on health complications
After the release of Baahubali, Rana suffered kidney failure and heart-related complications. The actor stepped away from films and professional commitments to focus on his health. He travelled to the United States for a transplant and dedicated himself entirely to recovery. During this period, his drastic weight loss sparked widespread concern about his well-being.
In a candid conversation on Rhea Chakraborty’s podcast Chapter 2, Rana opened up about that difficult phase and spoke about returning to an industry where his physicality once defined him.
During the interaction, Rhea described Rana as the “hot guy from Hyderabad” who was steadily making inroads into Bollywood before his health scare. However, Rana admitted that during his illness, stardom and image meant nothing to him. His only focus was survival.
He spent nearly a year in the United States following a disciplined diet and recovery plan. When he returned to India, he no longer looked like the imposing figure from Baahubali. He had become significantly leaner after his illness.
“I had a bunch of films I was supposed to do. There was a story about a big wrestler and those kinds of roles. I didn’t look like any of those characters anymore. I was returning advances back, and all that was going on,” he revealed.
Rana also recalled fellow actor Varun Tej visiting him during his recovery. “He’s a really big guy too. Halfway through the conversation, he looked more like the old me than I did,” Rana said.
He admitted that his physical transformation left him momentarily disoriented. “It was strange. Not recognising a version of yourself is confusing. I think if I weren’t an actor, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to cope with that.”
Rana Daggubati’s work front
In 2025, Rana starred in Kaantha alongside Dulquer Salmaan, Bhagyashri Borse, and Samuthirakani — a project he also co-produced. He made a cameo appearance in the post-credit scene of Mirai, starring Teja Sajja and Manchu Manoj, and appeared briefly in Parasakthi with Sivakarthikeyan, Ravi Mohan, and Sreeleela.
Apart from films, on streaming he headlined Season 2 of Netflix’s Rana Naidu and hosted The Rana Daggubati Show on Prime Video between 2024 and 2025. He also lent his voice to the popular series Solo Leveling.
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