Working with Amitabh was a challenge: Rana Daggubati

New Delhi: Actor Rana Daggubati, who will be seen alongside megastar Amitabh Bachchan and actor Sanjay Dutt in Ram Gopal Varma's 'Department', says it was a challenge to face the camera with the veterans. The 27-year-old actor, who made his Bollywood debut last year with 'Dum Maaro Dum', says director Varma helped him prepare to act alongside the two actors.

"Mr Bachchan has been doing films from the time when I wasn't even born and Sanjay Dutt's 'Rocky' was released before my birth. They are industry veterans and all us kids have grown up on their films. To be standing in front of these legends and do an action drama is one mighty challenge," Daggubati told PTI.

"Ramu made sure that I was prepared well enough before I headed for the sets. All credit to Ramu for mentally preparing me to face these two legends," he added. The actor is the son of prolific film producer Suresh Babu Daggubati and nephew of actor Nagarjuna and he says he had tough time pulling himself together before delivering a shot with his much senior colleagues. "Someone like Dutt is a superhero down South. I remember the kind of euphoria I experienced when I watched 'Vaastav' in Hyderabad and thought one day I would want to work in something like that. For me this is the image that played in my mind when I stepped into 'Department'. The film's experience has allowed me to take some immense learning out of it," he said.

Daggubati also said that Varma helped him shed his inhibitions about the role and took personal interest in ensuring that he was up to the mark. "Right from the time I signed the film, Ramu gave me good briefing. This is one film where he has spent maximum time as compared to his last few movies.

"'Department' is really close to his heart and he knows it in and out like the back of his hand. He gave me a lot of visual references even before I hit the locations," he said. The actor, who is very popular in the southern film industry, has not plans to restrict himself to just Hindi films and is happily enjoying a parallel career down South as well.

"There would be dual focus for sure. I am comfortable with Tamil as well as Telugu. Newer concepts are coming in and I would be more than happy to grab as many good films as they come regardless of whichever language they are being made," he said.