Vijay Deverakonda unveiled his intense look from his upcoming film Ranabaali, making his fans and followers deeply curious about what the film will be all about.
Vijay Deverakonda has a rugged look in Ranabaali, very different from his recent romantic avatars.
The actor wears long, unkempt hair and a thick beard. His face bears scars, dirt and signs of battle, reflecting the brutal world the character inhabits.
In what appears to be one of the darkest roles of his career so far, Vijay's appearance suggests survival and resistance.
Ranabaali is set in 1878 in the Rayalseema region of present-day Andhra Pradesh and is rooted in the backdrop of British colonial rule in India.
The film delves into the brutal atrocities committed by the British against Indians, highlighting a chapter of history that, according to the makers, has largely remained unexplored on screen.
Ranabaali is not just a historical drama but a deeply unsettling story. The teaser states that the genocide and exploitation carried out during British rule in India were, in many ways, worse than what the world witnessed during Hitler's regime.
The trailer also references a long-debated historical claim that nearly 45 trillion dollars were extracted from India by the British, pointing to the scale of economic and human devastation inflicted during the colonial rule.
Rashmika Mandanna plays Vijay Deverakonda's leading lady named Jayamma. This just might be the couple's first release after their rumoured wedding in February 2026. They had earlier worked together in the film Geetha Govindam and Dear Comrade.
South African actor Arnold Vosloo (most famous for his villainous role in Hollywood's blockbuster The Mummy) is seen as the antagonist Sir Theodore Hector.
The film is directed by Rahul Sankrityan, who had worked with Deverakonda in the earlier hit, Taxiwaala.
The music has been composed by Ajay-Atul.
Vijay Deverakonda had hinted about his new film with a cryptic tweet, saying, 'The biography of a wounded man.'
After the release of the teaser, he added, 'The British called him a 'SAVAGE'. I do not isagree :) He was 'OUR' Savage! Introducing the one and only 'RANABAALI' and setting the record straight on our history which they tried to bury.'
Ranabaali is all set to release in theatres on September 11, 2026.
This will be an important film in Deverakonda's career, especially since his latest releases -- 2023's Kushi and 2024's The Family Star -- got mixed responses.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff