Ranabaali Review: Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna Spark Fire, But a Sluggish Second Half Dampens the War Cry -

Mixed reactions pour in on X as the newly married pair’s first film together faces Jailer 2’s shadow at the box office.

Hyderabad, October 16, 2026 | ultapaltakhabar.com Entertainment Desk

The most-talked-about couple in Telugu cinema is back on the big screen, and the internet has opinions. Ranabaali, starring Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, hit theatres on October 16. It is their first film together since their wedding, which is exactly why fans bought tickets in droves. The verdict from the first-day crowd is split right down the middle. The chemistry gets full marks, but the pacing, the violence and the music are drawing fire.

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The Story: A Rebel, a Wife and a Ruthless Empire

Directed by Rahul Sankrityan and co-written by Pramod Tammineni, Ranabaali is an action epic set against British atrocities. Vijay plays Singanamala Bobbili Ranabaali, a rebellious warrior. Rashmika is Jayamma, his wife and partner in the struggle. Hollywood actor Arnold Vosloo plays the film’s villain, Sir Theodore Hector, a British commissioner.

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The film’s emotional core is a line the director clearly cares about: a forgotten past is a stolen future. It is a bold, serious theme for a big-budget commercial entertainer, and by most accounts the director sticks to it sincerely.

First Half: Love It or Leave It

Social media could not agree on the opening hour. One camp calls it dull. Their complaints are slow narration, flat emotion and British-era sequences that feel generic. Violence, they say, sometimes crosses into excess, and the background score is a letdown.

The other camp saw an entirely different film. For them, the first half works, the Vijay and Rashmika track is the heart of the film, and the scenes showing British cruelty hit hard. They also praise powerful dialogues and a pre-interval sequence that they call captivating.

It is rare for one hour of cinema to produce such opposite reactions, and that split may be Ranabaali’s biggest talking point this weekend.

The Couple Factor: Where the Film Really Shines

If there is one thing everyone agrees on, it is the lead pair. Viewers describe Vijay Deverakonda’s performance as intense, with a commanding screen presence. One viewer said he carries the film on his shoulders. Rashmika Mandanna is getting equally warm notes, and even the harshest critic admitted that the film only feels positive when she is on screen.

This is no surprise. The duo has history, having shared the screen in Geetha Govindam and Dear Comrade, and their chemistry has always been their strongest asset. Now, as a married couple, there is an extra layer of off-screen curiosity that the audience brings into the theatre. Almost every reviewer calls their shared sequences among the best parts of the film.

Second Half: Where the Momentum Slips

Here is where the trouble begins. A large section of viewers calls the second half tiresome, and one went as far as saying Vijay’s efforts were wasted by the screenplay. A more measured reviewer said the second half started on a decent note and then turned predictable. According to that review, almost every sequence unfolds exactly as expected, the pre-climax twist feels familiar from other films, and the genre has reached saturation, leaving viewers with a sense of déjà vu.

Runtime is the other recurring complaint. Reviewers say the film is too long and repeats several sequences around a single point. The consensus is that tighter writing in the middle portions of the second half would have made a big difference.

Music Under the Microscope

Ajay-Atul are among the most respected composers in Indian cinema, so expectations were sky-high. Some viewers are disappointed, calling the music a letdown and the background score weak in the opening portions. Not everyone agrees, though. One reviewer said two songs worked in the film’s favour. Expect the soundtrack to be debated all weekend.

The Ratings: A Wide Gap

The public ratings tell the story. One enthusiastic viewer gave the film 3.5 out of 5 and praised the director’s vision, emotion and storytelling. A more balanced review settled at 2.5 out of 5, calling it sincere but lacking in impact. The harshest take handed out 1.5 out of 5 and called it forgettable. Averaged out, the film sits in the middle, with strong lead performances and a few real highs, held back by predictability and length.

The Box Office Battle

Timing makes things tougher. Ranabaali lands just a day after Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 opened on October 15, and the Superstar’s sequel is the big festive draw. Yami Gautam’s Nayi Navelli and Rajkummar Rao’s Prahaar – The Ujjwal Nikam Story also entered the race, so audiences have plenty of choices this weekend. Splitting screens and attention is a real challenge for a film that needs good word of mouth to survive.

What This Means for the Stars and the Film

For Vijay Deverakonda: His performance is being singled out even by critics of the film, which is a useful asset. The actor gets credit for intensity, but the reviews suggest he needs stronger writing around him. A film where the star is praised and the screenplay is blamed is a familiar pattern, and the next project will need to break it.

For Rashmika Mandanna: Her reception is consistently warm, and she keeps her reputation as a reliable screen presence. The pair’s chemistry remains a proven draw, so expect producers to keep pitching them together.

For director Rahul Sankrityan: The sincerity of his vision is acknowledged even by lukewarm reviewers. The criticism is about execution, specifically writing and runtime, rather than intent. A trim could help, since the main complaints are about length and repetition.

For the weekend ahead: Mixed word of mouth usually means a front-loaded run, with the strongest numbers on the first days, driven by fan loyalty and the couple’s pull. Whether Ranabaali holds up depends on Saturday and Sunday audiences and on how the second-half criticism spreads online. Later, the film will move to streaming, where the lead pair’s scenes and the pre-interval sequence could find a more forgiving audience.

Also Read: https://ultapaltakhabar.com/jailer-2-review-rajinikanth-roars-back-as-tiger-muthuvel-pandian-and-jailer-3-is-already-calling/

Verdict

Ranabaali is a sincere but uneven period action drama. Vijay Deverakonda’s intensity, Rashmika Mandanna’s strong presence and their electric chemistry are the reasons to buy a ticket. A slow stretch, a predictable second half, heavy violence and a divisive score are the reasons some viewers walked out disappointed. Fans of the couple will find enough to enjoy, while neutral viewers may feel the film is too long for what it delivers.

Our rating: 2.5/5

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