Actor Rana Daggubati has shared a chilling memory from the making of his 2021 film Aranya, revealing that he once had to hide in complete darkness for nearly three hours after coming across a herd of wild elephants deep inside a forest. The actor spoke about the incident during a pre-release event for Mowgli, in a video posted by Whynot Cinemas on X.
Rana said he spent almost six months shooting inside a real elephant corridor for Aranya, where he played a man protecting the forest and its wildlife. While the team worked with trained elephants for the film, the shooting location was a natural habitat for wild herds. The crew had a limited time window each day to finish shooting and leave the area safely.
However, like many film schedules, they exceeded the allotted time. Rana recalled that the team was still filming when people suddenly began running. Moments later, he learned that a herd of wild elephants was moving through the same stretch of forest. With no safe shelter nearby, the actor and the entire crew had to lie still and hide silently.
He said the forest turned pitch dark, and the group stayed frozen in fear for about three hours as the elephants passed through. Rana added that it was the first time he understood how truly terrifying nature can be at night.
Aranya, an eco-action drama, also starred Vishnu Vishal and Zoya Hussain. Rana was last seen as Inspector Devara, also called Phoenix, in the film Kaantha.
