Rana Daggubati said if given a chance he will play Thanos in Marvel film.Avengers: Endgame is all set to release on April 26. The film will release in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu simultaneously. On Monday, Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman launched the Telugu version of the Marvel Anthem in Hyderabad in the presence of Rana Daggubati, who was at the event to launch the Telugu trailer of Endgame.
Rana has dubbed for Thanos in the Telugu version of Avengers: Endgame. Interestingly, this is his second collaboration with Marvel. Earlier, he had dubbed for Avengers: Infinity War which released last year.
At the event, both Rana Daggubati and AR Rahman spoke about their collaboration with Marvel. Here are excerpts from the interaction:
Q. We know you love reading comics. What convinced you to dub for Thanos?
Rana: I have grown up watching this (Avengers films). During my school days, I used to read comic books and I was always a big fan of them. Ten years ago, when Marvel started their cinematic journey with Iron Man, I became a fan of their films. It is a great opportunity to be a part of a film like this.
More than anything, this film has been a great learning experience. It is a 10-year cinematic journey that is coming to an end. Understanding the mythology and the superheroes is what I am taking back from it.
Q. Was it difficult to dub in Telugu?
Rana: The film originally has been written in English. When you try to dub in Telugu, of course, there are difficulties. However, in comparison to the last film, this time, much more care was taken. I received the script much earlier and accordingly corrections were made. So, when we listen to the dialogues in Telugu, they have been perfectly synced with the lip movement of the character on the screen.
Q. How was it composing the Marvel Anthem in Telugu?
AR Rahman: When I composed the tune, I called Rakendu Mouli (lyricist). He gave us the lyrics. I wanted to sing it because Telugu is the most difficult language to sing but I think I managed.
Rakendu Mouli: I am really happy that Rahman sir choose me to write the song. He wanted me to write something that will go in accordance with the Marvel films so far. I wrote the song recalling every superhero. It was an unbelievable experience.
Q. How did Joe Russo react to the Marvel Anthem?
AR Rahman: I was very scared because he is from Hollywood and I didn’t know whether he will understand the lyrics or not. But when he saw the song, he said ‘you have given us a hit!’ and hugged me. The other day, he saw it again and said, ‘I got gooseflesh.’ He also said that we need to dub the anthem in Chinese and Korean language.
Q. Summing up ten years of Avengers’ journey in one song must have been a task. What was your thought while composing it?
AR Rahman: The thing is everybody faces tragedies in life and in times like that, you need something that is energising or motivating. I never call a song an anthem. It has to become an anthem always. An anthem is something that even if you take it out of the movie and if you feel low and you listen to it, you feel the energy. I think we need people, songs and lyrics that inspire us.
Q. How much time did it take to complete the song?
AR Rahman: I think when the idea of the song came to us, we had a week. I also had to follow the best footage in the world to get inspired. We didn’t want to go overboard. When it was ready, the team from Disney came to Chennai and when I played it, they said that the anthem was absolutely what they needed.
Q. Did anybody influence you to sign up for this film?
AR Rahman: My son Ameen and my nephew Ashaf. They are big fans.
Q. If you get a chance to play an Avenger, who would you pick?
Rana: I used to have favourite characters and favourite heroes but from the time I started dubbing for Thanos, he has become my favourite. In some ways, Thanos became synonymous with me. So, I will 100% play Thanos if given a chance.
Q. If you have a superpower and you have to do something extraordinary, what will it be?
Rana: I have a superpower called voice and he (AR Rahman) has a superpower called music.
AR Rahman: I think superpowers is about what you see. Like a famous director said that a movie is a life without the boring parts. So, I think each one of us has extraordinary powers. I hope everyone utilises them well and becomes more powerful.
