Vijaydevarakonda Ranabaali Movie Review

The film Ranabaali, starring Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, has generated huge expectations. It is their third film together and their first film together after their marriage. Directed by Rahul Sankrityan, the movie was released worldwide this Friday. Coming to the story, the film revolves entirely around drought-hit regions of Rayalaseema. It primarily depicts how the British ruthlessly transported the country's food stocks to their own nation and how people in Singanamala and several other districts of Rayalaseema suffered due to a lack of food. When his people are struggling with hunger, Vijay Deverakonda, who plays Ranabaali, the fierce warrior of Singanamala, stands up to stop the British from taking away their grain. Rashmika Mandanna appears in the role of Jayamma. The hero is married to Jayamma while a major challenge that awaits him two decades later is kept under wraps. Arnold Vosloo plays the villain, leading a team that plunders the country's wealth.

Vijay Deverakonda, as Ranabaali, and Rashmika Mandanna, as Jayamma, have done justice to their respective roles. Although the two have very limited screen time together, they manage to impress whenever they appear together. For a major part of the film, however, audiences get the feeling of watching a documentary. A director's talent lies in narrating a story in a way that appeals to audiences across regions, irrespective of where the story is set. But in Ranabaali, scenes depicting severe drought and deaths caused by hunger have been shown excessively, making it difficult for audiences to feel that they are watching a film.

Although the scenes depicting the fight against the British and the performances of the lead actors are reasonably good, this period drama has very few sequences that generate excitement. Production house Mythri Movie Makers spared no effort in the film's production, but none of this could help the movie stand on its own. It is evident on screen that Vijay Deverakonda worked hard for this film. However, his efforts have not yielded the desired results. The actor had placed huge expectations on this period film, but it does not appear that those expectations have been fulfilled. As a result, Ranabaali appears to be struggling to attract audiences at the box office.

Rating: 2.25/5