The wait has been worth it. Harshvardhan Rane has finally arrived. His Diwali release ‘Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat’ is not only a smash hit, it has surpassed the collection of the purported Diwali blockbuster ‘Thamma’ in several centres.

Rane is now flooded with offers from the biggest banners. He is currently said yes to his next project, an action film produced by Ektaa Kapoor.

Grateful to the universe, Rane, who started his career in Telugu cinema with Thakita Thakita, Naa Ishtam, Avunu Harsha, Prema Ishq Kaadhal, Anaamika, Ajay, Nee Enge En Anbe, Geethanjali, Madhunandan, Brother of Bommali, Hello Good Bye, and Avunu 2 before getting a break in Hindi cinema with Sanam Teri Kasam.

Harshvardhan Rane, currently on a multiple city tour on the road to promote his film Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, says he will always be grateful to the Telugu film industry. “That’s where I found a foothold and acceptability before Hindi cinema. I am open to offers in Telugu anytime.”

Manoj Bajpayee, in an exclusive chat with this writer, applauded Harshvardhan Rane’s belated stardom. “As an outsider with no connection whatsoever in the film industry, I know exactly what he must have gone through: the jeers, taunts, the snubs. When I began my struggle in Bollywood I was constantly reminded of how far removed I was from Mumbai’s rules of stardom. I feel happy when I see an outsider like Kartik Aaryan or Harshvardhan Rane break the Bollywood bastion. We need more talent from the outside to counter-balance the partiality towards industry’s insiders. I don’t want to use the ‘n’ word (nepotism). But we all know it exists. Children of actors and filmmakers get multiple opportunities, whereas the outsiders don’t even get one opportunity.”