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Vijay Deverakonda-Rashmika Mandanna’s chemistry remains intact in Ranabaali, but unlike Geetha Govindam or Dear Comrade, this film leaves little room for the romance to breathe.
The Telugu version of Ranabaali hit theatres on October 16, while the Hindi-dubbed version releases in cinemas today.
Ranabaali U/A
2.5/5
Starring: Vijay Deverakonda, Rashmika Mandanna and Arnold VoslooDirector: Rahul SankrityanMusic: Ajay-Atul
Ranabaali Movie Review: Rahul Sankrityan’s Ranabaali attempts to bring a disturbing chapter of colonial history to the big screen using the Great Madras Famine of 1876-78 as the backdrop for a tale of resistance, survival and revenge. The premise is compelling and the film clearly aspires to be more than a conventional historical action drama.
However, while its subject has the potential to leave a lasting impact, the execution is considerably less consistent. Set against the devastation of famine-stricken Rayalaseema, the film follows Singanamala Bobbili Ranabaali, a warrior. As starvation spreads and resources are extracted from a population already pushed to the brink, his personal anger evolves into a larger fight against the British administration.
The narrative attempts to connect the political machinery of colonialism with the suffering of ordinary people, making hunger and deprivation central to its conflict. It’s an important perspective, particularly in mainstream Indian cinema, where colonial-era stories often gravitate towards familiar narratives of heroism and rebellion.
Yet the screenplay struggles to translate this powerful premise into a consistently gripping cinematic experience. Ranabaali’s introduced as a figure of defiance, a man whose resistance is fuelled by the suffering he witnesses around him. However, the film’s biggest weakness is that it frequently relies on the force of its protagonist rather than the strength of its storytelling.
Ranabaali’s presented as a symbol of rebellion but the screenplay does not always give him enough emotional complexity to make his transformation compelling. There is only so much that another confrontation, another act of cruelty and another display of righteous fury can accomplish before the drama begins to lose its impact.
One of the film’s most disturbing aspects is its depiction of the famine and the subsequent suffering of families and children. It’s deeply unsettling. Among the more harrowing moments is the depiction of a mother dying while breastfeeding her baby, an image that brings the human cost of the catastrophe into sharp focus.
Another sequence involving children and spilled rice reinforces the horrifying reality of hunger in a world where food exists but remains beyond the reach of those who need it most. They reveal the film’s strongest storytelling instinct – its understanding that the true horror of colonial exploitation lies not merely in political domination but in the destruction of ordinary lives.
Unfortunately, the repeated emphasis on graphic suffering occasionally makes the film feel emotionally manipulative, as though the intensity of the imagery is expected to compensate for the limitations of the writing. Sometimes, the narrative also offers a provocative reversal of colonial power. But the writing doesn’t always develop its political arguments with the nuance they deserve.
Technically, Ranabaali makes a strong impression through its period production design by Shivam Rao Nagasan, cinematography by Nirav Shah and Jishnu Bhattacharjee and recreation of a famine-stricken landscape. The visual world is appropriately bleak. But it fails to compensate for the unevenness of the screenplay.
At 2 hours 58 minutes, the editing could also have been more restrained, particularly in the second half, where the repetition of confrontations and violent episodes begins to affect the film’s pacing. What instead tries to make up for these shortcomings is Ranabaali and Jayamma’s love story. In many ways, the film’s emotional lifeline.
There’s genuine tenderness in the way their relationship is positioned against the devastation of their world. Yet the romance could have been considerably more affecting had the screenplay allowed Jayamma’s own perspective, fears and choices to shape the narrative. The relationship has emotional potential but it’s not explored deeply enough to become the film’s defining achievement.
Vijay Deverakonda once again slips into the familiar territory of the brooding, angry man in Ranabaali. But he brings considerable physical commitment to the title role, embodying Ranabaali’s ruggedness, intensity and defiance with conviction. His performance is most effective when the character is allowed moments of vulnerability, particularly in scenes that reveal his personal relationships.
Rashmika Mandanna provides the film with much-needed warmth as Jayamma. Her natural screen presence and easy chemistry with Vijay make their scenes together some of the more engaging moments in the narrative. The film is at its most emotionally accessible when it allows the couple to share quieter moments away from the larger political conflict.
However, Jayamma’s character remains underwritten with insufficient agency in a story that could have benefited from a deeper exploration of women’s experiences during famine and colonial oppression. Rashmika makes the most of what she is given but the screenplay does not allow her character to develop into a fully independent presence.
Unlike Geetha Govindam, which thrived on its playful romantic chemistry, or Dear Comrade, which gave its central relationship considerable emotional heft, Ranabaali doesn’t quite capitalise on Vijay and Rashmika’s undeniable ease together. Their chemistry remains intact here but the film’s sprawling historical narrative leaves little room for the romance to breathe.
Arnold Vosloo lends a menacing presence to the British antagonist, establishing the cruelty and authority of the colonial administration. However, the character is written largely as a straightforward embodiment of oppression, leaving little room for psychological complexity. Eeshwari Rao and Lal contribute to the film’s regional texture, bringing credibility to their respective roles.
Ultimately, Ranabaali’s a film whose ambitions are more impressive than its execution. An overreliance on graphic violence, some underdeveloped characters and lack of nuance in exploring its political themes prevent it from achieving the impact it seeks. Instead, it remains an ambitious but uneven film that has something important to say, even if it does not always know how best to say it.
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Ask News18Ranabaali uses the Great Madras Famine of 1876-1878 and the devastation of famine-stricken Rayalaseema under British colonial rule as the backdrop for its tale of resistance.
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Titas Chowdhury is a Special Correspondent at News18 Showsha. She writes about cinema, music and gender in cinema. Interviewing actors and filmmakers, writing about latest trends in showbiz and bringi…Read More
October 23, 2026, 09:41 IST
