Arjun Rampal Calls ‘Rana Naidu’ Role His Most Ruthless Yet

MUMBAI (IANS) – Arjun Rampal is set to make his debut in the hit crime thriller Rana Naidu as Rauf, a new antagonist he calls “the most ruthless and terrifyingly real character” of his career.

The second season of the series, premiering June 13 on Netflix, stars Rana Daggubati as the titular character and Venkatesh Daggubati as his estranged father. Rampal’s character Rauf is introduced as a chaotic figure capable of brutal violence, yet layered with surprising vulnerability.

“He’s a man without empathy, driven by chaos,” Rampal said in a statement. “But there’s a sliver of vulnerability—especially in how he loves his niece. She’s the only person he protects without question.”

Rampal added that portraying Rauf’s emotional complexity made the role especially challenging: “What made playing Rauf so difficult was how he could show tenderness even while being completely consumed by darkness.”

Created by Karan Anshuman and directed by Anshuman, Suparn Verma, and Abhay Chopra, the series is produced by Locomotive Global Media.

In a behind-the-scenes moment from the shoot, Anshuman recalled a spontaneous moment between the lead actors. During a heated scene between Rana Daggubati and Venkatesh Daggubati, the actors broke into Telugu, adding authenticity to the tension. “I thought magic was happening,” Anshuman said, “until I suddenly heard the word ‘biryani’—and I had no idea what was going on.”

Season 2 of Rana Naidu promises darker conflicts and new power struggles as Rampal’s character enters the frame.