Following the theatrical release of the period action drama Ranabaali on October 16, lead actor Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna addressed the media at a press conference in Hyderabad on Friday.
Amid mixed reviews from critics, Rashmika heaped heavy praise on her husband’s intense physical and emotional transformation, drawing a direct parallel to Allu Arjun’s iconic performance in Pushpa 2: The Rule.
”A One-Man Show”: Rashmika on Vijay’s Transformation
Rashmika opened up about how deeply Vijay immersed himself into the titular character of Ranabaali, noting that his intense method acting made it difficult to recognize the man she knows at home.
”When I was seeing Ranabaali be Ranabaali, there’s a full difference between Vijay and Ranabaali. Completely. Even on set, when I would speak to him off shooting, there’s one sense of Ranabaali. I’m like, where is Viju?” she shared.
Comparing the experience to working with Allu Arjun, Rashmika noted how both actors undergo complete physical and psychological shifts when stepping into massive commercial roles:
”Of course, there was a similar experience in Pushpa 2 when Bunny sir was doing that. Bunny sir as Bunny sir and Bunny sir as Pushpa were two different people. Like that, when I saw Viju… I’ve seen him personally at home. When I saw him on set, it was just different.”
Having previously starred alongside Vijay in hits like Geetha Govindam and Dear Comrade, Rashmika emphasized that Ranabaali and her character Jayamma offered a profoundly different, more mature cinematic dynamic, calling the film a “one-man show.”
”We Are One Person Now”
Addressing the press in Telugu about her feelings regarding her husband’s career milestone following their high-profile Udaipur wedding in February, Rashmika offered a touching personal reflection:
”Bhartha (husband)… We share the same pain, we share the same happiness, we share the same joy, we share the same experiences, we are one person now. So, there’s no difference between how does his success feel to me or how does my success feel to him.”
Box Office and Production Overview
Directed by Rahul Sankrityan, Ranabaali features an ensemble cast that includes Hollywood star Arnold Vosloo as the primary antagonist. Despite facing polarized reviews from critics upon its October 16 release, the film pulled in a solid opening day, grossing ₹16.15 crore worldwide (with ₹9.25 crore net in India), according to trade tracking site Sacnilk.