‘Ranabaali’ opens to mixed box-office results as director discusses possible sequel

Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna’s Telugu period drama *Ranabaali*, released on October 16, earned ₹36.9 crore during its opening weekend, according to figures cited by *The Indian Express*. The newspaper reported that the film opened with ₹9.25 crore but declined over the following days, taking ₹7.5 crore on Sunday. By its fifth day, it had collected about ₹52 crore worldwide and ₹36 crore net.

Directed by Rahul Sankrityan, the film is set during the Great Madras Famine of 1876-78. Deverakonda plays Singanamalla Bobbili Ranabaali, a fictional Rayalaseema chieftain inspired by three palegars, while Mandanna plays his wife, Jayamma. Deverakonda told *The Hindu* that Sankrityan consulted gazettes and books while developing the story and that the production researched the region’s architecture, clothing, ornamentation and customs. Deverakonda also trained in the Rayalaseema dialect for the role.

Despite the film’s declining collections, Sankrityan has discussed a possible sequel. In an interview with iDream Media, he said unresolved elements—including Ranabaali’s fate, his son’s story, a British character who escapes a port battle and the background of the fighter Goudappa—could support further stories.

The film is Deverakonda and Mandanna’s third together and their first release since marrying on February 26. During a joint appearance on *Koffee With Karan*, the couple also discussed their path to marriage, with Mandanna saying she raised the subject repeatedly for a year before Deverakonda agreed.