Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna’s Ranabaali is the first film to hit theatres after the couple’s real-life wedding. Directed by Rahul Sankrityan, this period drama aims to bring to light a hidden chapter of history associated with Anantapur district. Before the release, the director said he wanted to showcase incidents from history that many people are unaware of. Hollywood actor Arnold Vosloo makes his Telugu debut with this film, playing a British commissioner.
Although Vijay’s last few films did not perform well at the box office, his popularity remains intact, and Ranabaali has arrived in theatres amid huge expectations. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, this is one of the most expensive films in Vijay Deverakonda’s career. Here is how the film fares.
Director: Rahul Sankrityan
Cast: Vijay Deverakonda, Rashmika Mandanna, Arnold Vosloo, Eswari Rao, Mime Madhu and others
The story is set in the 1870s in Anantapur, which was then part of the Madras Presidency under British rule. People are struggling to survive a severe famine, while the newly appointed British commissioner, Sir Theodore Hector (Arnold Vosloo), promises to send record quantities of grain from India to London.
In Singanamala village, a warrior named Ranabaali (Vijay Deverakonda) is born and grows up to protect the people in his region. Despite the severe drought, Hector imposes heavy taxes and forces people to work on railway lines being built to connect the region to ports. Ranabaali marries Jayamma (Rashmika Mandanna), and as he learns more about the atrocities committed by the British rulers, he decides to fight back and rescue the people, particularly by taking on Commissioner Hector. Meanwhile, the famine continues to claim lives, leaving people without even enough food to survive. How Ranabaali fights for his people and takes on the British rulers forms the crux of the story.
The British rule in India and the struggles of those who fought against it are not new subjects for cinema. Several films have explored this period, including SS Rajamouli’s RRR, which used the British backdrop for a fictional story. With Ranabaali, director Rahul Sankrityan attempts to narrate a lesser-known story, particularly one connected to the Rayalaseema region and Anantapur.
Rayalaseema has long struggled with severe droughts, even after independence. While earlier films have largely focused on freedom fighters and their battles against the British, Ranabaali takes a different approach. It shows people dying of famine while the British rulers turn a blind eye to their suffering, impose heavy taxes through their autocratic rule and reduce them to slaves.
Rahul Sankrityan blends this backdrop with local traditions, culture and other regional elements. His attempt to bring this story to the big screen deserves appreciation. However, the film suffers from slow narration and excessive violence.
The first half works reasonably well, showing Ranabaali’s birth, his warrior skills and his marriage to Jayamma. As he learns about the suffering of the people under British rule, the story begins to take shape. The scenes featuring Vijay and Rashmika work well, particularly because of their emotional performances and chemistry.
The second half, however, becomes predictable, with the action sequences doing much of the heavy lifting. Rahul successfully portrays the devastating impact of the famine, making it one of the film’s most thought-provoking aspects.
A young girl’s connection with Ranabaali eventually leads him to the Gutti campus office, where he witnesses the suffering inflicted on people by the British. This becomes a turning point, prompting him to take up the fight against them. The British then target his native village and his home.
However, the violence in these portions is excessive at times and becomes difficult to watch on the big screen. When a filmmaker sets out to tell a lesser-known historical story that audiences may be interested in exploring, is this level of violence really necessary? Even the Ramayana and Mahabharata contain violence, but adapting such stories for the big screen requires a certain balance so that they can reach a wider audience, including children. With its graphic violence, Ranabaali may not be suitable for everyone. The climax, however, is interesting.
The cinematography deserves appreciation for recreating the period setting and transporting audiences to that era. The art direction is also good, and a few songs work well. However, the background score is a major minus, as it fails to elevate several key moments. The dialogues are well written, and the hard work put in by the entire team is evident on screen.
Vijay Deverakonda looks convincing as Ranabaali, and his Rayalaseema dialect is effective. However, his expressions remain largely the same throughout the film. Despite this limitation, he fits the role well and delivers a good performance.
Rashmika Mandanna plays Jayamma, and although her role is relatively small, she makes a strong impact. Her entry brings liveliness to the film, and her chemistry with Vijay is superb. She is one of the film’s major highlights.
Hollywood actor Arnold Vosloo is well suited to the role of British commissioner Sir Theodore Hector and delivers a neat performance. Eswari Rao gets another substantial role and makes good use of it. The supporting cast also does its part well.
The film would have benefited from tighter editing. Trimming at least 20 minutes could have improved the pace and made the overall experience more engaging.
Director Rahul Sankrityan deserves appreciation for his sincere attempt to bring a lesser-known historical story to the screen, even though he has taken some cinematic liberties. However, the slow narration and excessive violence prevent Ranabaali from reaching its full potential. With stronger emotional depth and tighter storytelling, the film could have been on another level. Still, it is worth watching once for its subject and the effort behind it.
