Vijay Deverakonda shot to fame with Pelli Choopulu and became a sensation with Arjun Reddy. He later emerged as a star with Geetha Govindam, and his films have since generated considerable box-office buzz. Although his recent outings haven't performed as expected, his upcoming film Ranabaali has created curiosity among audiences. The film is one of the year's most anticipated projects and is expected to be a key film in Vijay’s career. Directed by Rahul Sankrityan and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, it is set to release on October 16, with Rashmika Mandanna playing the female lead.
Vijay said Ranabaali was the first film since Pelli Choopulu that he felt comfortable promoting, and it was made with a specific purpose. “When we learn about the injustices our people faced throughout history, we are shocked and wonder whether such terrible things really happened. Some people did not consider us worthy of even the slightest respect. To think about our country's future, we must understand our history. If we do this film right, it could pave the way for more films like this. Cinema may help uncover hidden chapters of our history. Otherwise, nobody may come forward to tell such stories. That is why we made this film with a sense of responsibility and took great care in its making,” says Vijay.
The actor clarified that Ranabaali is not a conventional patriotic film or a story about India's freedom struggle against the British. “You will not see the kind of patriotism usually associated with such films. We have shown how the British entered Ranabaali's area, how he faced them and fought against them, and the circumstances that existed in that region at the time,” explains Vijay, who studied in Anantapur, and was familiar with the Rayalaseema dialect. However, he underwent extensive preparation to get it right for the film. “I studied in Puttaparthi for ten years, so I was somewhat familiar with the Rayalaseema dialect. However, I trained extensively to get it right for this film. The Telangana and Rayalaseema dialects share some similarities, but I rehearsed the dialect and dialogues for two to three months."
Speaking about the region's culture and beliefs, Vijay says they helped people stay united and support one another. “During famines, people worshipped village deities and held jataras, believing that the following year would be better. Our history has many great warriors who stood up for their people. Many of these warriors died in their thirties. They are the inspiration behind Ranabaali,” says the actor, who believes folk songs and burrakathas played a key role in keeping the stories of these warriors alive. “Director Rahul once sent me a folk video recorded at a jatara in Anantapur. In that video, people sang folk songs celebrating the greatness of several historical warriors. Our film also begins with a similar folk song.”
He explained that people passed these stories down through generations before some Indian writers documented them in books. “Through Ranabaali, we are bringing to the big screen, for audiences across the world, the greatness of these warriors, the atrocities our ancestors endured, the mistakes we made as a society, and how the British managed to take control of this vast country,” says Vijay.
Vijay shares he studied famines and the conditions people endured during British rule while preparing for the film. He also expressed concern that historical accounts often failed to capture the full extent of the suffering. “For example, in the Travancore region alone, 6.5 million people reportedly died due to famine. Between 1876 and 1878, a famine in the Madras Presidency claimed the lives of eight million people. The actual number may have been even bigger. But, as I told you, people from the West present history from their own perspective and do not tell us the full truth,” says Vijay.
Vijay also spoke about how schools teach history and why he believes it is important to understand the suffering of ordinary people, rather than simply memorising dates and battles. “We must understand what happened to us in the past so that we can prevent similar things from happening in the future. History often repeats itself. Even today, several countries are fighting one another, and the barriers created by caste, religion and regional identity continue to divide us,” says Vijay.
The actor credited director Rahul Sankrityan for shaping the film and his character. “My appearance and way of speaking as Ranabaali will feel natural. Rahul has made the film with a mass-oriented and realistic approach. Rahul is the main pillar, and he is the heart and soul of this film,” says Vijay, adding, "We have complete confidence in the success of Ranabaali, and that confidence is why we are promoting the film extensively. We don't want to create hype for the sake of it. We have put together a genuine trailer. Once you enter the theatre and watch the film, you will be transported into its world within five minutes,” says Vijay.
On Rashmika Mandanna's casting as Jayamma, Vijay reveals it was the director who made the decision. “Director Rahul suggested Rashmika for the role of Jayamma, and I also felt she would be the right choice. Her name came up for the female lead in some of my earlier films, but I felt she wasn't the right fit for those projects. I wanted the film we did together to be something special. Ranabaali has a strong, dramatic, emotional relationship between our characters. Working together has added greater emotional depth to these roles because our real-life connection also influences how the characters come across. I believe audiences will feel that when they watch the film,” says the actor.
Asked what audiences could expect from Ranabaali, Vijay asserts the film would offer an engaging cinematic experience with strong emotional moments. “Ranabaali will keep them engaged from beginning to end. After watching the film, people will walk out of theatres discussing our history and culture, and I am sure about it,” he concludes.