Actor Riteish Deshmukh says he was perplexed when filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma narrated his role of an honest and sincere journalist in his media-based film "Rann".

"Ramu (Varma) narrated the role to me. He said you have to play an honest, sincere and fair journalist in my film. And my first reaction was, 'I hope this is not a fictitious character', " Riteish told.

"I agree there are loads of people in the media today who take up issues and use the medium to bring justice, as also bring in a certain sensibility among society, but a lot of them don't. Facts are blown out of proportion and a lot of them survive on rumours.

"So I had my doubts about how real my character is. But the experience of shooting for the film was great, " he added.

"Rann" also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Paresh Rawal, Rajat Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Purab Kohli as well as Gul Panag.