This Ranabaali review covers Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna‘s latest period action-drama, directed by Rahul Sankrityan. The film attempts to tell an untold story from Indian history through a fictional lens, but struggles with execution despite sincere performances from the lead pair.
Director Rahul Sankrityan, known for films like Taxiwala and Shyam Singha Roy, delivers Ranabaali, a historical period action-drama and alternate-history film. Despite the star couple’s presence, the film did not have solid pre-release buzz. Let’s see whether the film surprises and impresses with its content.
Story
The story of Ranabaali follows a forgotten warrior who emerges to rescue Indians against British atrocities during colonial rule.
Performances
Vijay Deverakonda plays the titular character, which is very different for him. Though his body language comes across as unnatural in initial moments, he gets it right as it progresses and delivers a convincing performance.
Rashmika Mandanna is good and performs well in a couple of emotional scenes. Arnold Vosloo suits the British tyrant character well. Eeshwari Rao and others are just okay.
Analysis
Rahul Sankrityan writes and directs Ranabaali. His efforts to bring an untold story from Indian history with fictional events is definitely appreciable, but the execution could have been stronger.
The first half starts on a normal note. The establishment of the Legend of Bhadra Mallanna of Singanamala village is not etched properly. Ranabaali’s introduction episode and the following song are alright.
The emotional impact of the atrocities committed by the British on Indians fails to land as intended due to generic, outdated narration combined with excessive violence.
The film gains better traction with the arrival of Jayamma. Ranabaali and Jayamma’s romantic moments come across nicely, with the song Endayya Saami shining as the film’s best part. Rahul then attempts to heighten the emotions during the interval episode, but since neither the hero’s character nor the villagers’ plight had been established naturally by that point, and with a lackluster background score adding no support, the effort falls flat.
The second half shows Ranabaali taking on the Britishers and recovering rice and grain bags by forming an army on his own. There is good improvement in the proceedings here and a couple of emotional stretches work well, especially the one involving Jayamma.
There’s an attempt to evoke deep emotions by showing how the Madras famine led to many Indians dying, but the execution looks stretched. Also, the twist near the climax with a devotional touch is interesting, but it should have been handled more powerfully.
Positives
- Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika‘s performance
- Jayamma chapter
- Few emotional scenes
- Visuals
Negatives
- Generic and beaten-to-death handling of Britishers scenes
- Melodramatic scenes
- Dragged sequences
- Climax could have been stronger
Ranabaali Review And Verdict
Ranabaali is a sincere and honest film by Rahul Sankrityan, backed by rich production values. Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika deliver good performances. The film is affected by slow pacing, uninspiring music, and a British colonial setting that fails to resonate with audiences. Still, the team’s honest effort and strong performances make it a passable theatrical watch.
