Vijay Deverakonda doesn’t look like he’s here to negotiate. The trailer for Ranabaali, released Thursday evening, shows him as a man ready to fight for his village while a famine closes in.
And it isn’t a natural one. The film, set in 19th-century South India, is built around a famine manufactured by the British, with Hollywood’s Arnold Vosloo as the face of the villainy. At 3 minutes 56 seconds, the trailer spends plenty of time on the Rayalaseema landscape, the crowds and the fights that come with a hero swearing to protect his people.
The trailer begins with a folk performance celebrating the legacy of Ranabaali of Singanamala Hill. In a folktale, it’s narrated that a woman gave birth to him in a cave years ago. It’s soon prophesied that he has greatness in his destiny. The village he stays in is asked to work for the Britishers in exchange for wages, but they are instead ill-treated.
The trailer ends with a tease of a Kantara, Pushpa, and Karuppu-style moment for Vijay in the upcoming film. “Stories preserved through generations, living on in folklore. Now, we bring them to the BIGGEST SCREENS across THE WORLD. The history that shaped us. The Indian men we descend from. A story that deserves to be told right. This October 16th – RANABAALI,” wrote the makers while releasing the trailer.
Still, the makers didn’t forget to lighten the mood. Rashmika Mandanna appears as Jayamma, and the scenes between her and Vijay carry some playful teasing, which gives the heavy backdrop a bit of room to breathe. There’s extra interest in that pairing too. This is their first film together since their marriage, and the trailer seems well aware of it.
Rahul Sankrityan directs the period action drama, which deals with the violence and cruelty of colonial rule. Mythri Movie Makers is backing the big-budget project.
The release date has shifted once already. Ranabaali was supposed to open on September 11, but it now arrives in theatres on October 16, barely a week away.