‘Ranabaali’ Isn't Just Another Period Film It's About Uncomfortable Truths: Vijay Deverakonda
Vijay Deverakonda sounds relaxed, but there’s an unmistakable edge of conviction in his voice when he talks about Ranabaali. Slated to hit cinemas on October 16 for Vijayadashami, the big-budget period action drama re-teams him with director Rahul Sankrityan and co-stars Rashmika Mandanna alongside Hollywood actor Arnold Vosloo.
Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, the film steps straight into the harsh realities of colonial-era India. Ahead of the release, Vijay sat down for a candid chat about why this project feels personal, why he refuses to raise ticket prices, and how he prepped for his most demanding character yet.
"We Aren't Chasing Fake Hype" In Conversation with Vijay Deverakonda
Q: You seem unusually calm promoting this film. What makes you this confident?
Vijay: Honestly, after Pelli Choopulu, this is the most comfortable I’ve felt taking a film out to audiences. We didn't rush anything. We had our CGI locked down back in February because we treated the VFX with respect right from pre-production.
A lot of films rely on rapid cuts and frantic pacing to build tension, but Ranabaali is proper, immersive storytelling. You sit in your seat, and within the first five minutes, you’re sucked into that world. We aren't doing promotions to invent hype; the film stands on its own legs.
Q: The film takes a hard look at colonial exploitation. What triggered that angle?
Vijay: History is written by the victors, and for centuries, we’ve been handed a filtered version of our past. People still talk about the British bringing railways to India as if it was a gift. It wasn't built for our commuteit was built to siphon our grain, cotton, and gold straight to the ports.
During the Madras Presidency famine in the late 1870s alone, over eight million people starved to death. Instead of famine relief, taxes were doubled. If you couldn't pay, you were forced into grueling labor for a fistful of grain.
Local warriors stood up against this tyranny. Many of them died in their thirties, forgotten by formal textbooks but kept alive in folk songs. Rahul sent me a video of folk singers at an Anantapur jatara celebrating these men, and that’s essentially where our story takes root.
Q: Playing Ranabaali required a shift in your dialect and body language. How difficult was that?
Vijay: In many mass films, the lead character barely speakshe just gives a look and walks away. Rahul didn't want that. Ranabaali is loud, sharp, and commanding, the way a real 19th-century tribal leader would have sounded.
I studied in Puttaparthi for ten years, so Rayalaseema slang wasn't totally alien to me, but speaking it with authority is a different ballgame. I trained for nearly three months on the dialect, dialogue delivery, and horse riding.
Q: You and Rashmika share great off-screen camaraderie. What made you pick this script to reunite?
Vijay: Her name came up for a couple of my earlier projects, but neither of us wanted to do a film together just for the sake of pairing up. It had to be meaningful.
When Rahul pitched Rashmika for Jayamma, it felt completely right. Their relationship on screen has so much emotional weight and friction. Because of the trust and bond we already share off-screen, that chemistry felt raw and effortless in front of the camera.
Q: The film clocks in at nearly 2 hours and 50 minutes, and the action looks gritty. Were you worried about toning it down?
Vijay: Not at all. That era wasn’t gentle. Back then, disagreements weren't settled across a tableconflicts were literally matters of life and death. We didn't throw in fights just to look cool; every sequence comes out of character necessity. If anything, real history was ten times more brutal than what we showed.
Q: You've taken a public stance against hiking ticket prices for your films. Where does that come from?
Vijay: It comes straight from my college days. I remember having empty pockets and missing out on films in theaters because prices had shot up. That feeling sticks with you.
Cinema should be an accessible escape for regular people. There won’t be any hiked ticket rates for Ranabaali, nor for any film of mine down the line. Unless I end up working with Rajamouli Garu on some massive spectacle, normal prices are here to stay.
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