Rahul Sankrityan’s Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna-starrer Ranabaali was released in theatres this Friday. The film marks the couple’s on-screen reunion after years and their first release together since their marriage. Talking to the press in Hyderabad after the film’s release, Vijay said that his mother broke down sobbing while watching an emotional scene in Ranabaali. So much so that Rashmika had to console her.
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Vijay Deverakonda on Rashmika Mandanna’s Jayamma
When Vijay was asked about Ranabaali’s characters, he called Rashmika’s Jayamma his favourite. “I love Jayamma. I love her off-screen, I love her on-screen. So, Jayamma will always be my first priority. The first time I saw the character on set was when she entered his house in her wedding saree. We were not married yet, so to see her as a bride made me emotional,” he said.
He then spoke about a key scene in the second half of the film, featuring Ranabaali and Jayamma. He said, “I felt physical pain doing the scene with Jayamma in the second half that everyone’s talking about. I think when you see it, that’s what you feel. I am acting, but I feel pain because my body doesn’t know it. That fear and pain stayed somewhere in my heart.”
Says mom and friends broke down crying
Vijay also remarked that his mother had to be consoled while watching Ranabaali, saying, “I watched the film thrice: twice during editing and once yesterday, when I saw the final cut with CGI and music. But when I watched the scenes yesterday, I was choking up, and my mom broke down sobbing as she sat behind me. I kept telling her, mummy, this is just a movie. But she kept sobbing loudly…we don’t usually cry like that in public. I had to ask Rushi to go sit with her for a while.”
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He stated that some scenes in the film had the same effect on his childhood friends, too, adding, “It’s understandable, she’s my mother. But my school friends were sitting in front of me, and one of them started crying. He told me he couldn’t control his tears. So, it’s a very intense and emotional film overall, personally, when it comes to the subject.”
Ranabaali was released in theatres on October 16 and received mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. Vijay and Rashmika married in Udaipur in February this year after getting engaged in October last year. The couple worked together in Geetha Govindam (2018) and Dear Comrade (2019) before their marriage. They were a hit on-screen pair but never worked together again due to personal issues.