Rana Daggubati speaks on an unified North-South film industry; sparks new hope for Pan-India cinema: "Waiting for you guys"

Rana Daggubati is a prominent Indian actor, producer, and entrepreneur known mainly for his work in Telugu films, as well as in Tamil and Hindi cinema. In a recent interview, he discussed the idea of bringing together all regional film industries along with Bollywood to create a unified Pan-India content platform, highlighting the benefits of collaboration across languages and regions.The Idea of UnityIn an interview with Bollywood Bubbles, Rana was asked why content from various regional film industries across India—whether from the North or South—cannot be unified into a single entity. He replied with a lighthearted suggestion, saying, “If all of us decide to move to one city and work from one place, great—there would be no problem. Let’s pick somewhere in the middle of India, like Bhopal or Goa, and let all industries move there.

Everyone in favour? No issue. We’d become one unified industry overnight. I’m already there, waiting for you guys! But it’s hard, it is. We speak different languages, and it’s quite difficult to communicate.”Cultural Essence and Regional RootsHe pointed out that recently, especially in Telugu films, the push to create pan-India content has led to a loss of the industry’s roots and cultural essence. However, the mindset is now shifting, with the understanding that not every film needs to appeal beyond its own region.

There is significant value in producing content that remains deeply rooted in Telugu culture, and efforts should focus on making such films successful within that space.

He emphasized that India’s diversity sets it apart from other countries, embodying the principle of “unity in diversity,” with the entertainment industry often leading by example. He also highlighted the Malayalam film industry as an example, where producing a film with a budget of around four crores is considered standard rather than small.Technology and CollaborationThe actor mentioned that creating films in Bombay often leads to labels like “indie film” or being considered “too small,” highlighting how differently the country operates in terms of cinema. He believes that cinema will always exist and continue to evolve. The key area where collaboration can happen is in technology, distribution platforms, and developing systems that work universally across industries.

He pointed to Silicon Valley as an example, where technology is deeply integrated into all sectors.

Using Netflix as a case study, he explained that it functions more as a tech company than just a content provider, representing a highly engineered brand. However, in India, despite having IT hubs in many cities, there is minimal interaction between the tech and entertainment industries. He emphasized that a genuine merger between these sectors is essential for future growth.Upcoming ProjectsOn the work front, Rana will be seen in 'Rana Naidu Season 2' on June 13th 2025.