Ranabaali Documentary Reveals Forgotten Famine That Inspired Vijay Deverakonda’s Epic

Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna’s highly anticipated pan-India epic ‘Ranabaali’ is generating curiosity ahead of its grand theatrical release, and the makers have now revealed the historical incident that forms the foundation of the film.

Directed by Rahul Sankrityan and produced by Naveen Yerneni and Y. Ravi Shankar under the Mythri Movie Makers banner, with T-Series presenting the film, Ranabaali is scheduled to release worldwide on October 16, coinciding with the Vijayadashami festival.

As part of the film’s promotions, the first episode of the four-part documentary series ‘Ranabaali: Never Forget The Truth’, titled ‘The Famine We Forgot’, began streaming today. The episode explores the devastating famine of 1876–78 during British rule, a tragic chapter in Indian history that, according to the makers, claimed millions of lives.

The documentary sheds light on the severe food crisis during the period and examines how large quantities of grain continued to be transported out of India even while people across several regions were suffering from starvation. The episode also explains how extensive research into this forgotten chapter eventually became one of the foundations for Ranabaali.

Director Rahul Sankrityan revealed that the team undertook extensive research before developing the film. He said that despite the large number of films made about the British Empire and its history, the famine of 1876–78 has received comparatively little attention in popular cinema.

According to Sankrityan, the team visited collector offices, libraries and old archives and studied books and government gazettes to understand the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. He said the scale of the famine was deeply disturbing and that the research eventually inspired the team to bring this historical episode to the screen.

Rashmika Mandanna, who plays Jayamma in the film, said that learning about the famine was heartbreaking. She explained that she tried to understand the suffering and sacrifices of the people who lived through that period and described the opportunity to be part of a project based on such historical events as a rare one.

Vijay Deverakonda, who plays the titular Ranabaali, said that the film aims to tell the story of the millions who lost their lives during the famine and ensure that the historical events are remembered.

He also highlighted the contrast between the widespread starvation in India and the movement of grain during the period. According to Vijay, the makers wanted to bring this lesser-known history before today’s audiences through the film.

The documentary series is designed to explore the historical backdrop of Ranabaali while giving viewers an insight into the research and ideas behind the ambitious project. The makers have planned four episodes, each focusing on a different forgotten aspect of the history connected to the film.

The second episode, ‘The History We Forgot’, will stream on September 30, while the third episode, ‘The Men We Forgot’, will premiere on October 2. The streaming date for the fourth and final episode, ‘The Last Load’, will be announced soon.

Meanwhile, anticipation continues to build around Ranabaali, which marks another ambitious collaboration between Vijay Deverakonda and director Rahul Sankrityan. With its historical backdrop, large-scale world and pan-India appeal, the film is gearing up for a worldwide theatrical release on October 16.