'Baahubali' star Rana Daggubati wants to play 'Indian Hercules' Kodi Ramamurthy Naidu

"Baahubali" actor Rana Daggubati says he loves wrestling and boxing and would like to play the role of iconic wrestler Kodi Ramamurthy Naidu, popularly known as "Indian Hercules".

Rana Daggubati was cheering for team Hyderabad at the ongoing kabaddi championship, when he expressed his wish. Talking to Hyderabad Times (HT) at the sidelines of the event, the "Baahubali" actor said that he had always been a kabaddi fan and that he used to play the game a lot during his school days. He lamented that the present generation neither plays it nor talks about the sport.

The actor wanted to be a boxer and underwent training for it. However, he opted for a career in acting, as he felt boxing was not his cup of tea. "I'm a huge fan of Mike Tyson. I also trained in heavyweight boxing earlier but it needed a lot of time and effort and I was very injury-prone, so I gave it up. But wrestling and boxing are the two sports I love," Rana Daggubati told HT.

Rana Daggubati says he is a big fan of Kodi Ramamurthy Naidu, who was a renowned body builder and would break iron chains by flexing his muscles. He would love to play the renowned wrestler in films. "He was accorded the title of Kaliyuga Bheema by King George V. I have grown up reading about him in text books and I'm researching the man. I'd love to play him on screen," he said.

The actor says that it would be a dream role for him and the film would be a tribute to the iconic wrestler from Vizianagaram. But Rana Daggubati is not sure about when this project will go on floors, as he has a series of big-ticket projects lined up for shooting and promotions.

"Well it would be a dream come true to pull that role off. I don't know when the movie will materialise but I really want to do it. Aamir Khan's Dangal is inspired by a popular wrestler and I think it is about time Tollywood too pays homage to heroes like Kodi Ramamurthy. Besides being a renowned body builder he participated in the freedom struggle as well," he added.

Rana Daggubati is currently busy with SS Rajamouli's "Baahubali – The Conclusion," the second instalment in the "Baahubali" series. Besides, he has other projects such as "Ghazi", Teja's political drama, "Enai Noki Paayum Thota" and director Bala's Kollywood movie.