The Rana Daggubati Show: Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Navdeep Hail Upendra as a Visionary Filmmaker

Amazon Prime Video’s The Rana Daggubati Show continues to captivate audiences in 2025 with its star-studded lineup. The latest episode features the iconic filmmaker-actor Upendra, alongside actors Navdeep, Faria Abdullah, and Sharmiela Mandre. Known for his bold storytelling and unique cinematic approach, Upendra opened up about his journey, sharing anecdotes about his humble beginnings, his take on love and marriage, and his unconventional methods in filmmaking. The episode strikes the perfect balance of nostalgia, inspiration, and candid revelations.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Navdeep set the tone for the episode with a special video tribute. Navdeep drew parallels between Upendra and the titular character from Animal, calling him 'the OG real wild animal.' Sandeep Reddy Vanga praised Upendra’s groundbreaking work, saying, 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. These remarks highlighted Upendra’s fearless creativity and passion for cinema.

Upendra reminisced about his early struggles, sharing how his challenging circumstances sparked his creativity. 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, he revealed. His persistence eventually landed him a position as an assistant director, followed by roles as a co-director, director, and ultimately an actor in his own films.

When discussing his personal life, Upendra’s honesty stood out. Reflecting on marriage, he said, 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 intriguing stories Upendra shared was about incorporating a tiger into a love scene in his film Super Star. He revealed, 'During my trip to Thailand, I saw a tiger and wrote a love scene around it.'

Hosted by Rana Daggubati and produced under Spirit Media, the series features top names like Dulquer Salmaan, Naga Chaitanya, and S.S. Rajamouli. The seventh episode premieres January 4, streaming exclusively on Prime Video.