Rana Daggubati joins the league of Avengers

Baahubali fame Rana Daggubati has joined the universe of Avengers, as the actor lends his voice to the character of Thanos for the Telugu version of Hollywood film "Avengers: Infinity War". Featuring an ensemble of superheroes, Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Infinity War" is all set to hit silver screens worldwide on April 27. Betting big on its localisation efforts, Disney India has signed on Rana to lend his voice for the villainous character. "I've grown up reading Marvel Comics and Marvel movies with their intricately woven storylines. It is fascinating to see how Marvel has created characters and stories that resonate so well with audiences across the globe, making movies at a scale that one had never before imagined," Rana said in a statement to IANS. "Characters such as Iron Man and Captain America have been my favourites. So dubbing for 'Avengers: Infinity War' was thrilling. Voicing for Thanos, a villain so powerful that some of the biggest superheroes have a tough time dealing with, was an exciting experience," added the actor, who has finished dubbing for the movie. Commenting on the announcement, Bikram Duggal, Executive Director and Head, Studio Entertainment, Disney India said, "This year marks a milestone for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it turns 10 and to add to the excitement, we are releasing 'Avengers: Infinity War' - the biggest superhero crossover one has ever seen." "With Rana Daggubati coming on board as the voice of Thanos, we are confident of reaching out to a wider audience base while retaining the magnitude and staying true to the ethos of the Marvel brand," Duggal said. The media mogul adopted a similar strategy for "The Jungle Book" in 2016, as it signed Priyanka Chopra, Irrfan Khan, Nana Patekar, late Om Puri and Shefali Shah, to bring to life the characters in the Hindi version of the film. Later, actor Varun Dhawan was rope in to lend voice for Captain America in the movie "Captain America Civil War". "Avengers: Infinity War" stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Renner, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Olsen, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Cumberbatch amongst others. The film is releasing in India in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.