Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Navdeep praise Upendra on The Rana Daggubati Show, calling him a visionary

Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Navdeep laud Upendra, calling him a visionary and comparing him to Ranbir Kapoor’s character in Animal, on Prime Video’s The Rana Daggubati Show

Prime Video’s revolutionary celebrity talk show, The Rana Daggubati Show, kicks off 2025 in style, featuring a star-studded episode with host Rana Daggubati and guests such as the versatile filmmaker-actor Upendra, charismatic Navdeep, rising star Faria Abdullah, and actor-producer Sharmiela Mandre.

Upendra, known for his bold narratives, unconventional filmmaking choices, and larger-than-life persona, opens up about his modest origins, his personal thoughts on love and marriage, and his unique filmmaking philosophy. This candid episode brings together a powerful mix of nostalgia, inspiration, and candid insights, offering fans an intimate look at the man who revolutionized Indian cinema with his creative vision.

The episode kicks off with Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Navdeep hailing Upendra’s fearless approach to cinema in a special introductory video. Navdeep compares Upendra to Animal’s titular character and dubs him as “the OG real wild animal.” Sandeep Reddy Vanga also heaps praise on him, adding, “He made Om when he was just 22. He was the youngest director in the country at that time. His screenplay felt like a film within a film.” The conversation then transitions to Upendra’s early years, as he sheds light on the struggles and creativity born out of humble beginnings.

Upendra recalls, “I lived in a very tiny house. To earn some money, I made paper covers and sold them to fruit vendors. That’s when I started writing. I approached a director as a writer, and he made me his AD. From there, I moved to becoming a co-director, then director, and finally acting in my own films.”

Reflecting on his personal journey and experiences with love and marriage, Upendra delivers a thought-provoking confession. He admits, “Marriage is a great institution. It is so good. I deceived you all by delivering lines like: ‘There is no love. Love is trash.’ Many of you followed it, but very quietly, I got married. I wanted to find out whether there was any truth to what I said. After experiencing it, I am fixed now.” One of the most fascinating moments of the episode unfolds when Upendra reminisces about adding an unexpected twist to a love scene in his 2002 film Super Star. He recounts, “During my trip to Thailand, I saw a tiger and wrote a love scene around it.”

Created, hosted, and executive produced by Rana Daggubati under the banner of Spirit Media, the unscripted Telugu Original eight-episode series boasts an exciting line-up of guests, including Dulquer Salmaan, Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, Siddhu Jonnalagadda, Sreeleela, Nani, S.S. Rajamouli, Ram Gopal Varma, and many more. With new episodes dropping every Saturday, the seventh episode of The Rana Daggubati Show will be available to stream on January 4 exclusively on Prime Video in India and over 240 countries and territories worldwide.