‘Ranabaali’ Director Rahul Sankrityan: ‘Vijay, Rashmika’s Chemistry Is the Film’s Highlight’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Rahul Sankrityan returns to the big screen, once again with Vijay Deverakonda, with “Ranabaali.” The actor-director duo, who had previously worked in the supernatural thriller “Taxiwaala,” is back with a period drama set in the 19th century. 

In an exclusive interview with Variety India, Rahul talks about Rashmika and Vijay’s chemistry, onboarding Arnold Vosloo and his expectations from “Ranabaali.” 

“Ranabaali” is a departure from your previous films, which have been supernatural thrillers. How did you zero in on this period drama? 

I’m from Rayalaseema (Andhra Pradesh). My childhood memories are deeply rooted in that region. There are so many stories in the Rayalaseema region; if you go to a village, every village has its own god, its own hero, its own folktale. So, I wanted to explore that world because I have more access to that space. My brother, Pramod, and I were discussing a possible subject that was not cliched. 

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While exploring the region, we learned about some devastating facts about the severe famine that had gripped Rayalaseema back in time. But when I started reading about this, I realized the famine extended across the entire region of South India. And it connects with the entire nation. This was called the great South Indian famine, which we have highlighted in our promos. And I felt this was a story to be told. That’s why Vijay Deverakonda and I are very excited to release this film. It’s an eye-opener for the whole country. 

This is your second film with Vijay Deverakonda after the success of “Taxiwaala” in 2018. What made you cast him as the rebellious warrior Ranabaali? 

I wanted someone who was physically strong, young-looking, and who could ride a horse, as his character rides one in the movie, which is set in the 1870s. Vijay is also very versatile and he had never explored a rural character before. So, when I discussed the idea with Vijay, he was excited. 

The casting of Rashmika Mandanna as his reel-life wife, Jayamma, in the movie is a coup, given that the couple got married earlier this year. 

 Initially, we were discussing multiple options for this character. But we wanted a female actor with a pan-India presence because we want to pitch this story to the national audience as well. And that is how we signed Rashmika. They make a great pair and there is good chemistry between them.

It is just a happy coincidence that they have got married because there is already a huge interest in them as a couple, and they also play a couple in this film. Actually, I wasn’t aware that they were going to make their relationship official. But after some time, Vijay informed me about their wedding plans. Their real-life relationship will help my film. 

You have just announced your collaboration with Hollywood actor Arnold Vosloo, who is playing the antagonist in the movie. How did this come about? 

‘The Mummy’ was my all-time favorite film as a child, and it had a very strong impact on me. I needed a villain who was British. We wanted an actor who not only performed well but also carried the persona of a villain. We narrowed down a few options, including the villain of ‘The Matrix.’ We decided to approach Arnold, and to our surprise, his team said he loved the script. Fortunately, since we had Mythri movies backing us, we could extend our budget to accommodate him. 

How did you help him embrace the role of Sir Theodore Hector and adapt to the local work culture?   

His role is inspired by a real-life British commissioner, Sir Richard Temple. We did some workshops about how the character should function. Arnold is very open to suggestions and makes an effort to understand how I am seeing the character. And he put in a lot of effort in terms of getting the mannerisms right. Since he is a South African-American actor, we trained him to speak English with a London accent.  

The film will be released on September 11. Are you happy with the way it has shaped up? 

 I’m more than happy. I’m very excited and proud. We have already started post-production. The first half is almost ready. We’ve planned everything. I am very excited to present Arnold to the Indian audience, as there were so many people who loved him in ‘The Mummy.’ Vijay as Ranabaali is going to be a feast to watch, and also the chemistry between Vijay and Rashmika will be the highlight of this film.