The trailer of Ranabaali is out, giving the clearest look yet at Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna’s period action drama set against the Madras famine of 1876-78. Directed by Rahul Sankrityan, the film
places its central conflict in the fictional Rayalaseema village of Singanamala, where a community’s fight for survival eventually turns into resistance against British rule.
Running for 3 minutes and 47 seconds, the trailer introduces Vijay as Singanamala Bobbili Ranabaali and Rashmika as Jayamma, while Arnold Vosloo appears as British commissioner Sir Theodore Hector.
Vijay Deverakonda’s Ranabaali Takes On The British
The trailer establishes Ranabaali as a horseman and fighter whose life is closely tied to Singanamala. He is seen confronting British forces attempting to enter the village, with several action sequences built around his attempts to protect the people around him.
The conflict, however, is not presented as a conventional freedom struggle. Ranabaali takes up arms because his village and its people are directly threatened.
As British pressure grows, the trailer moves from local resistance into a much larger confrontation. Villagers are seen battling armed forces, while Ranabaali increasingly emerges as the man leading the fight.
Rashmika’s Jayamma is also shown participating in the resistance rather than remaining removed from it. In several portions, she stands alongside Ranabaali as the village deals with both famine and the British administration.
The trailer also shows Jayamma pregnant during this period.
Madras Famine Changes The Film’s Tone
The early portions spend time establishing Singanamala as a functioning community with its own customs, landscape and relationship with horses.
The trailer also includes glimpses of Ranabaali and Jayamma’s courtship and marriage before the famine begins altering life in the village.
From there, the imagery becomes considerably harsher.
Starvation, death and widespread suffering begin dominating the frames as the Madras famine takes hold. The trailer repeatedly cuts between starving villagers and British officials operating from comparatively comfortable surroundings.
Arnold Vosloo’s Sir Theodore Hector appears during these portions. The character is described as a British commissioner and is based on the real Sir Richard Temple.
While the trailer does not reveal the full extent of Hector’s role, it establishes him as one of the principal figures representing colonial authority in the film.
Ranabaali’s Origin Is Also Revealed
The trailer begins even earlier in Ranabaali’s life.
A child is shown being born outside a mystical cave in the hills of Rayalaseema. A sage-like figure subsequently names him Ranabaali.
The sequence serves as the character’s introduction before the trailer moves forward to his adulthood, his life in Singanamala and the eventual conflict that engulfs the village.
Rahul Sankrityan Wrote 24 Drafts Over Three Years
Ranabaali has been directed by Rahul Sankrityan, who previously made Taxiwaala with Vijay Deverakonda and Shyam Singha Roy with Nani.
Sankrityan has said that the screenplay went through 24 drafts over three years of writing.
The film draws from research into the Madras famine, including British gazettes preserved in the Ballari Collectorate archival room, along with local folklore and the burra katha storytelling tradition of Rayalaseema.
Vijay plays Singanamala Bobbili Ranabaali, while Rashmika plays Jayamma. Arnold Vosloo stars as Sir Theodore Hector.
The film has been produced by Naveen Yerneni and Y. Ravi Shankar under Mythri Movie Makers and is presented by T-Series.
Ranabaali is scheduled to release worldwide on October 16, 2026, one day after Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 arrives in theatres.
