Raana has grown up watching his sister and popular actor Rakshita, mother Mamatha Rao, and brother-in-law Prem making their marks on the silver screen. It is now his turn to take the proverbial cinematic plunge with the upcoming romantic thriller, Ek Love Ya. “During the final year of my engineering, I wanted to take up acting as my career, and I realised that if I didn’t express myself then, I would never be able to fulfill my dream. I expressed this to my mother and later conveyed it to Prem, who supported my interest. Eventually, everything fell in place,” says Raana.

A student of Lee Strasberg Theatre, Raana also assisted director Prem in The Villain and he got to interact and learn from stars like Shivarajkumar and Sudeep. “My process to get into films began in 2015, and Prem has been guiding me for 7 years. However, I never believed that a director of his caliber would helm a film for me. He is a brand and he understands the audience’s pulse. I must thank my mother, my sister, and Prem for giving wings to my acting dreams,” he says.

Raana is happy to begin with a romantic thriller that also has a social message. “The director has picked up a relevant story that is convent driven and is blended with romance and thriller elements. With multiple elements including a musical being part of the film, I don’t think Ek Love Ya can be fixed to any particular genre,” says Raana, adding, “The film is an all-round entertainer and will be a perfect launch vehicle for me.”