‘Ranabaali’ trailer: Vijay Deverakonda, Rashmika lead a rebellion against British rule in Rahul Sankrityan’s film

The trailer of the Telugu period drama, set during the Madras famine of 1876-78, follows a lesser-known chapter of history in pre-Independence India

Published - October 08, 2026 08:36 pm IST

Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna in the film | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The nearly four-minute trailer of the Telugu period drama Ranabaali, directed by Rahul Sankrityan and starring Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, follows the short documentary series Never Forget, released over the last few days by the film’s team. While the docu-series introduced the context of the film and how millions of Indian lives were lost during the Madras famine of from 1876-78, primarily due to the oppressive measures by the British Empire, the trailer takes it a notch higher by showing the resistance and rebellion of the lead characters and their village.

Ranabaali is the first collaboration between Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna post their wedding early this year. The duo previously featured together in the blockbuster Telugu romance drama Geetha Govindam, and the sports romance drama Dear Comrade. Ranabaali is Vijay’s second film with Rahul Sankrityan, after the 2018 film Taxiwaala.

In the trailer, recurring images establish how food grains became a socio-political tool during the period. A British officer walks over the grains, in contrast to the young bride Jayamma (Rashmika) who cautiously places her foot near, but not on the grains, when she enters her marital home. Vijay as Ranabaali, who hails from the fictional Rayalaseema village of Singanamala, unleashes his rebellious spirit at a time when the villagers are slave-driven to earn their right for a meal. The trailer traces the journey of the protagonist from his birth near a mystical cave to his rise as a fierce symbol of resistance.

Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, Ranabaali has music by Ajay-Atul, and cinematography by Jishnu Bhattacharjee and Nirav Shah. National Award winner Archana Rao handles the costume design and the art direction is by Vithal Kosanam.

Ranabaali is scheduled to release on October 16.

Published - October 08, 2026 08:36 pm IST

The Hindu MetroPlus / The Hindu Cinema Plus / Telugu cinema

Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.