Interview: Film Star Rana Daggubati Co-Founder of LOCA LOKA Tequila

Rana Daggubati, the co-founder of the premium tequila brand Loca Loka, is an acclaimed Indian actor, producer, and entrepreneur best known for his role as the antagonist Bhallaladeva in the Baahubali film series. Born on December 14, 1984, in Chennai to film producer D. Suresh Babu, he hails from a prominent Telugu cinema family and debuted as an actor in the 2010 Telugu film Leader, earning the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut.

Daggubati began in the film industry as a producer with the National Award-winning Telugu film Bommalata in 2006 and founded Spirit Media, a VFX and animation company that worked on over 70 films. His acting breakthrough came with Leader, followed by roles in Telugu hits like Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum and his Hindi debut in Dum Maaro Dum.

He gained global fame portraying Bhallaladeva in Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and its sequel, which became one of India's highest-grossing films, earning him multiple Filmfare Awards South and SIIMA Awards. Other notable films include Rudramadevi, Ghazi, and Nene Raju Nene Mantri, showcasing his versatility across Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi cinema.

Daggubati co-founded the premium tequila brand Loca Loka in 2024 with entrepreneur Sree Harsha Vadlamudi and composer Anirudh Ravichander, blending Mexican agave traditions with Indian storytelling. The brand launched internationally in the US and Southeast Asia, with Blanco and Reposado variants winning awards at competitions like the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and expanded to India in late 2025.  Loca Loka has recently launched an Anejo that is quickly becoming a favorite of spirit afficionados.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Rana Daggubati about his career and Loca Loka Tequila and appreciate his valuable insights.

What first interested you in the world of spirits?

My interest in spirits began less with consumption and more with craftsmanship. When you travel, you realise that certain liquids carry geography, agriculture, regulation and heritage within them. Tequila, in particular, is one of the most tightly protected spirits in the world … one that is denomination-controlled, terroir-driven, and process-sensitive. That fascinated me.

Globally, tequila has been among the fastest-growing premium categories over the past decade, with value growth disproportionately led by 100% agave expressions. It wasn’t about entering a fashionable segment but building within a category that demands authenticity.

I was drawn to the rigour and artisanal quality of the product that moved from agave cultivation cycles that span 6–8 years to barrel ageing decisions that shape character. It felt less like launching a product and more like participating in a legacy industry that rewards patience and precision. And when you achieve that perfection, it fuels you to keep moving the needle forward.

As a renowned actor, producer and co-founder of Loca Loka, how do you balance your busy schedule?

I don’t see them as competing commitments; I see them as parallel creative disciplines.

Film production and premium spirits both require long-term thinking, capital allocation discipline, and brand equity building. In cinema, you manage scripts, talent, distribution windows and audience sentiment. In spirits, you manage supply chains, compliance, on-trade relationships and consumer perception. Both are ecosystems. The key is delegation backed by clarity of vision.

At Loca Loka, we built a leadership structure that prioritises governance, distribution quality and margin integrity. I focus on strategy, partnerships and long-term positioning rather than day-to-day operations. Time management is really about energy management and knowing where you add the most value. When your ventures are built on strong teams and defined frameworks, balance becomes a matter of structured prioritisation rather than constant firefighting.

Our readers would love to know a little about your earliest interest in acting and if you've had particular mentors for your movie career.

I grew up around cinema, so storytelling felt less like a career choice and more like a language I was already knew. My earliest exposure was observing how films were made - the scale, the logistics, the narrative style captivated my imagination.

Acting came later; understanding movies as a whole came first.

I’ve been fortunate to learn from filmmakers who treat cinema as both art and enterprise. Mentorship, for me, wasn’t about instruction but exposure from years of watching how decisions were made under pressure, how creative disagreements were resolved, and how long-term franchises are built. That understanding of audience psychology and scale has influenced everything I do, including Loca Loka. Whether it’s a film or a spirit brand, you’re ultimately crafting an experience that needs to resonate beyond the first encounter.

Can you tell us a little about the team behind Loca Loka?

Loca Loka was never conceived as a vanity project; it was structured as a research-led, professionally governed venture from day one. Harsha brings institutional and operational depth, particularly in navigating cross-border trade, regulatory architecture and capital strategy. Anirudh brings cultural intuition and global youth resonance. On the ground in Mexico, we collaborate with experienced master distillers and agave experts who safeguard process integrity.

Beyond that, our commercial team focuses heavily on on-trade education, distributor alignment and selective market entry. In a category where legacy players dominate shelf space, execution discipline matters more than noise. We operate with a long-horizon mindset that is measured across geographic expansion, controlled inventory cycles and strong partner ecosystems. The team is built to sustain growth, not just generate launch momentum.

Why do you think Loca Loka has become a standout in the spirits market?

We entered the category at a time when global tequila growth was being driven by premiumisation rather than volume spikes. Consumers are trading up; they’re seeking provenance, authenticity and quality cues. And this was not by accident. We backed our plans with research and data that ensured every market entry created a deep strategic impact.

From the outset, we committed to 100% agave, careful distillation, and flavour profiles that reward sipping as much as cocktails. While product perfection is an absolute must, success is never about the product alone. 

We avoided rapid, undisciplined expansion and instead prioritised markets with strong on-trade ecosystems and educated bartenders. That builds advocacy. The feedback loop we’ve seen through repeat purchases, strong reorder velocity, and positive trade sentiment, suggests that quality is translating into credibility. Once you have perfected this loop, the product has been set up on a strong platform to succeed.

In a crowded spirits landscape, differentiation comes from restraint and consistency. We focused on those fundamentals rather than chasing scale prematurely.

We are excited about the recent release of your Anejo?  What makes this expression so special?

Añejo is where patience becomes flavour. By regulation, it requires ageing for a minimum of one year in oak barrels, but the nuance lies in barrel selection, climate interaction and blending decisions. Our Añejo was developed to retain the vibrancy of agave while allowing oak to introduce structure with notes of vanilla, caramel and subtle spice without overwhelming the base spirit.

Globally, aged expressions have been driving higher value growth within tequila, as consumers explore sipping occasions beyond cocktails. For us, the Añejo represents maturity across both the liquid and the brand. It signals that we are committed to depth within the portfolio, not just breadth. It’s an expression that rewards slow appreciation and reflects the craftsmanship that underpins the entire range.

What is your favorite cocktail with Loca Loka tequila?

I personally gravitate towards simplicity because it respects the liquid. A well-balanced Margarita with fresh citrus and minimal sweetening allows the agave character to remain front and centre. That said, I increasingly enjoy tequila in spirit-forward formats like a refined Paloma with natural grapefruit or even a neat pour of our aged expressions. Globally, cocktail culture has become more ingredient-conscious, with bartenders emphasising freshness and technique. I appreciate that evolution. A good cocktail shouldn’t mask the spirit; it should frame it. When the base is well-crafted, you don’t need complexity for impact. The best serves, in my view, are those that highlight clarity of flavour and leave a clean finish.

Can you share with us any of your future plans either in the entertainment industry or in spirits?

In entertainment, my focus remains on projects that travel globally with stories rooted in locally. Streaming platforms have recalibrated audience access, and scale today is borderless.

In spirits, the direction remained similar: structured international expansion with strong distribution partnerships and portfolio depth. We are evaluating additional aged expressions, limited collaborations and selective market entries where premium tequila consumption is expanding. Globally, the tequila category continues to show resilience, particularly in the premium tier. Our aim is to be present in the right markets with the right partners. Sustainable growth, protected pricing architecture and brand integrity of Loca that will guide our next phase.

Anything else, absolutely anything you want Broadway World readers to know?

I’ve always believed that creativity and entrepreneurship are closely linked. Whether you’re producing a film or building a spirits brand, you are constructing something that needs to earn attention and trust. Loca Loka is an extension of that philosophy … rooted in craft, guided by long-term thinking, and open to global audiences. We entered a heritage-driven category as outsiders, but with deep respect for its traditions. That respect is non-negotiable. For readers and audiences, I would simply say this: meaningful ventures are rarely built overnight. They are shaped by patience, partnerships and conviction. If there is a common thread across my work, it’s that I prefer building for longevity rather than momentary applause.

Follow Rana Daggubati on Instagram @ranadaggubati

To learn more about Loca Loka Tequila, please visit Localoka. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Loca Loka