New Delhi, Apr 13, (PTI): Being paired with the sultry Bipasha Basu in 'Dum Maro Dum', actor Rana Daggubati is already battling link-up rumours insisting they are just ''friends'' in real life. 

 
The duo play a romantic couple in the film and Bipasha's reportedly single status sparked off rumours that their romance has spilled over off screen.

But Rana has denied the alleged link-up, saying "Me and Bipasha share a beautiful love story, but only on screen."

The pair have also shot some intimate scenes as part of the film. "She was the only person on the team I didn't know before shooting of the film began. It was great to work with seniors like Abhishek and Bipasha," added the newcomer in Bollywood.

The 26-year-old actor is making his Bollywood debut with the Rohan Sippy-directed thriller, playing a Goan musician Joki.

"I was surprised on being offered one of the leads in Dum Maro Dum. Being a South Indian actor you expect to be playing 20 seconds cameo in Hindi films, not protagonists," said Rana, who was in the capital today to promote the April 22 release.

The actor has starred in a Telugu film 'Leader', his only release so far and was offered a role in 'Dum Maro Dum' even before the film hit screens.

"I did not expect that I'll be working in a Bollywood film so early in my career," said Rana, who worked with Hindi diction trainers before beginning to shoot.

He might be a new face in showbiz, but his relation with films is a old one, what with Dadasaheb Phalke award winning Telugu producer D Ramanaidu as his grandfather and Suresh Babu as his father.

"It was fun to be working in a different industry in the same country. Even though the madness of movie-making is the same, the method of cinematic story-telling is different. I couldn't have played a Goan musician in any South Indian film," said Rana.