The trailer of Rahul Sankrityan’s Ranabaali, starring Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, was released on Thursday evening. Running for nearly four minutes, the trailer introduces Arnold Vosloo as the antagonist and sets up a period story about a famine allegedly engineered by the British in South India.
The trailer opens with a folk performance centred on Ranabaali, the legendary figure associated with Singanamala Hill. According to the story passed down through generations, Ranabaali was born inside a cave and was believed to have a great destiny ahead of him.
The story then shifts to the village under British rule. The villagers are promised wages in return for working for the British, but are instead subjected to harsh treatment. Ranabaali begins questioning why the British have control over his village and the people living there.
Vijay’s character is also shown sharing a married life with Jayamma, played by Rashmika. Their relationship brings some lighter moments to the otherwise intense story, with Jayamma’s mother-in-law also expecting the couple to have a child soon.
However, the mood changes as famine threatens the village. Ranabaali decides to take matters into his own hands and attempts to protect his people from the crisis.
The trailer ends on a dramatic note, hinting at a larger-than-life transformation for Vijay’s character, with glimpses that evoke the style of films such as Kantara, Pushpa and Karuppu.
The makers described the film as a story rooted in folklore and Indian history while announcing its worldwide theatrical release on October 16.