Actor Rana Daggubati is all set to release his upcoming multilingual project, Kaadan/Aranya on March 26.However, the Hindi version Haati Mere Sathi was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the recent announcement by Eros International. Ahead of the release, Rana has interacted with the media in Hyderabad and has shared his experiences making the movie, with a story that revolves around elephants.
In this movie, Rana can be seen playing the role of Bandev, a 50-year-old man who lives in the forest and tries to save the elephant corridor. As reported earlier, the movie was inspired by human encroachment into elephant corridors in Kaziranga, Assam.
While talking to the media, Rana said this was the 'toughest' film he has done so far. "There was a lot of hard work involved in the movie. And it was totally a different experience to be deep in the rainforest."
Commenting on his character, Rana said director Prabhu Solomon designed a 'human character with animal instincts.' Rana said that he went to Thailand 15 days ahead of shooting to understand his character and spent time connecting with nature. "The director had every detail of the Bandev character in mind. How he walks, how he listens and each and every gesture. I had to understand all of it and be that man."
While preparing himself for the role, Rana said that he used to spend time with elephant caretakers in the initial days and feed the elephants, so he could establish a connection with the animal. "Only after a while, the elephants started connecting with me. They should trust us. There is a different kind of energy through which animals develop bonds with us."
The movie also features actors Shriya Pilgaonkar, Zoya Hussain, Pulkit Samrat and Raghu Babu playing the important roles.
Meanwhile, another movie, Virata Parvam, starring Rana and Sai Pallavi is also slated for the release on April 30.