Rana Daggubati’s contemporary home in Hyderabad

When not reading scripts, Rana loves tinkering around. You will find several glasses, stirrer holders and more, recycled from old glass bottles, dotting the bar. “My father is a football fan and everyone in my family loves travelling. So, whenever anyone travels, they bring back something for this corner,” he adds.

Like any of us, Rana prefers working in peace and quiet. A separate path and a short flight of stairs later, we’re in his office. Dotting the walls are film posters and portraits of movies and personalities that inspire him and move him to contribute to his craft every day. We notice Marlon Brando, Mohammed Ali and even Uma Thurman staring down at us through their glass frames, looking right across at the mini-library Rana has built in his study. And what a collection it is – from Rig Vedas and Upanishads to Gotham comics and Tamil Pulp Fiction. “These books are an indication of how scattered my brain is,” says Rana, flashing us a cheeky smile. It’s no wonder then his on-screen work too spans from mythological and fantastical to the more grounded day to day realities.

There’s one thing clear to anyone who visits his home – while he may work on celluloid to bring others’ stories to life, he’s breathed life into his own story, albeit through brick and mortar.

All images by Stories in Motion