Here are five things you need to know about Rana Daggubati.

1. Despite being born into a famous filmmaking family, he worked his way to the top

India has a variety of regional film industries, from the main one known as Bollywood, to the highly productive South Indian industry (affectionately called Tollywood), which makes films that are regularly remade and adapted into Hindi.

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While it was Baahubali that thrust Daggubati into the global spotlight, the actor was already a big name in the South Indian film industry before that. The 37-year-old was born into a famous film family. His father is famous Telugu film producer D. Suresh Babu, his grandfather D. Ramanaidu – one of the most prolific Telugu producers of all time – and his uncle Venkatesh and cousin Naga Chaitanya are also both huge film stars.

Growing up in the industry, Daggubati was able to spot a growing demand for special effects, and in fact began his career as a visual effects producer, creating a company that worked on more than 70 films. After five years, he decided to switch to acting, and underwent two years of intensive training, including studying theatre.

At age 12, Daggubati says he spent most of his time in the editing room and watching films being shot, according to an interview in the Hindustan Times. After his acting debut in Leader in 2010, Daggubati went on to star in a broad spectrum of films – from romantic comedies to action flicks and period dramas – but says he tried hard not to be cast in the guaranteed-to-be-popular musicals that other stars were.

“I don’t want to do the song-dance formula; there are many people doing it, right?” he told Hindustan Times.

According to IMDB, Daggubati currently has six projects in production, including an upcoming period piece based on 18th century king Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma.

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2. He is a successful entertainment entrepreneur who also owns Hyderabad F.C.

When asked in the Hindustan Times interview whether he considered himself a better businessman than he was actor, Daggubati’s reply was reportedly instant: “I’m part of the film business. I ran a successful company [Spirit Media]. I produced films, I’ve won National Awards, we’ve made a lot of money, I act in films, I’ve had some success in them and some failures. It’s the film business, so I’m there in the film and the business.”

Daggubati has developed a string of lucrative businesses alongside his acting career. He owns an animation and VFX studio called Spirit Media, a talent management company, a stake in a venture capital firm, his family’s production house, and, just for a bit of variety, he is also co-owner of Hyderabad Football Club. He acquired his stake in 2019 – the same year he also invested in India’s leading comic book company, Amar Chitra Katha.

Daggubati has reportedly amassed millions through his various ventures, which include a slew of properties across India, and an impressive collection of luxury cars and watches.

His property portfolio includes a Hyderabad estate overlooking a serene lake that’s enveloped by lush gardens, which is home to both his wife and his parents, according to Architectural Digest.

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3. He had a lockdown wedding

Daggubati is married to interior designer Miheeka Bajaj, the founder of Dew Drop Design Studio. The pair wed in August 2020 after dating for a few months, according to India Today, and subsequently had a lockdown wedding at Ramanaidu Studios.

The actor opened up about his feelings for his wife in an interview with India Today, saying that despite their relatively short courtship, he had known his now wife for a long time as Bajaj was a friend of his sister’s. “It’s the first time I thought I will get married. That means she did something to me, right?” he said. “I went with the flow. And when good things happen, you don’t question why it did.”

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4. He is blind in one eye

In a 2016 interview, the Telugu superstar revealed something about himself that truly surprised his fans: he is blind in one eye and can only see out of his left one. “It was a corneal defect from birth. I had it operated on with a donor eye over 10 years back, but still the problem persists due to some technical issue. Except colour, I cannot figure out what is what with my right eye.”

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5. He has a new metaverse venture

“As an IP owner, the world of blockchain presents both incredible possibilities as well as challenges on the best way to identify and focus on the best and most credible opportunities,” the actor was quoted as saying in The Times of India when asked about his latest project, Ikonz.

The Ikonz website describes the company as a “wealth-building platform that helps IP owners, artists and other established icons manage their digital assets”.