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Rashmika Mandanna compares Vijay Deverakonda performance in Ranabaali to Allu Arjun's in Pushpa 2 The Rule

Rahul Sankrityan's Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna-starrer Ranabaali hit screens on October 16 to mixed reviews.

Updated on: Oct 17, 2026, 15:48:19 IST
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Rahul Sankrityan’s Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna-starrer Ranabaali was released in theatres on October 16 to mixed reviews. The film’s team, however, held a press conference in Hyderabad on Friday evening to discuss the love it had received. Rashmika spoke about her husband Vijay’s performance in the film, comparing it to Allu Arjun’s in Sukumar's Pushpa 2: The Rule.

Vijay Deverakonda and Allu Arjun in stills from Ranabaali and Pushpa 2.
Vijay Deverakonda and Allu Arjun in stills from Ranabaali and Pushpa 2.

(Also Read: Sandeep Reddy Vanga calls Vijay Deverakonda next defining action hero of Indian cinema in his Ranabaali review)

Rashmika Mandanna praises Vijay Deverakonda’s performance

Rashmika spoke about Vijay’s performance in Ranabaali and said, “When I was seeing Ranabaali be Ranabaali, there’s a full difference between Vijay and Ranabaali. Completely. Even on set, when I would speak to him off shooting, there’s one sense of Ranabaali. I’m like, where is Viju? You know?”

Deep Dive

What did Rashmika Mandanna say about Vijay Deverakonda’s performance in Ranabaali?

Rashmika said Vijay seemed completely different as Ranabaali compared with his off-screen self. She described his performance as deeply immersive and said the character felt distinct from the Vijay she knew at home.

Why did Rashmika compare Vijay Deverakonda in Ranabaali to Allu Arjun in Pushpa 2?

She said both actors appeared like different people when performing their characters. Rashmika recalled a similar transformation in Allu Arjun as Pushpa in Pushpa 2.

Did Rashmika say Vijay Deverakonda’s Ranabaali performance was better than Allu Arjun’s in Pushpa 2?

No. She compared how fully Vijay and Allu Arjun seemed to inhabit their roles, but did not say one performance was better than the other.
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She also added that it took time for her to understand how much he had involved in the role, “It took me time, but I understood with what gravitas he’s performing, at what level he’s performing it. When you do some characters, they just consume you fully. Every cell of you feels those emotions, that performance. So, I watched all that. This was a very new experience for me.”

Compares it to Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 performance

She spoke about how it was different from when she acted with Vijay before, too, “Like that, when I saw Viju…I’ve seen him personally at home. When I saw him on set, it was just different. The actors who perform know the feeling. But genuinely speaking, we did Geetha Govindam and Dear Comrade, I feel like Ranabaali and Jayamma touched me. It felt different this time. For me, with the overall film, I have to say it’s him. He’s a one-man show.”

Says she and Vijay Deverakonda are one person now

When Rashmika was asked in Telugu how she feels about her husband’s success with Ranabaali, she said, “Bhartha (husband)...We share the same pain, we share the same happiness, we share the same joy, we share the same experiences, we are one person now. So, there’s no difference between how does his success feel to me or how does my success feel to him.”

Addressing how they’ve been dating a while before their Udaipur wedding in February, she added, “I think it’s been a while since we’ve stopped seeing each other as individual people. Now we’re one person, so for the rest of my life, and for the rest of his life, I feel like all our success is gonna be the same. So, I genuinely hope this becomes a huge blockbuster, as do all the films we do; I’ll be happy.”

Ranabaali also stars Arnold Vosloo as the main antagonist. It collected ₹9.25 crore net in India and grossed ₹16.15 crore worldwide on its opening day, according to the trade website Sacnilk.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeshita Nyayapati

Despite having a Master's degree in Journalism and over a decade of experience in print and digital media as a field reporter and sub-editor at organisations such as The Times of India and Reader's Digest, Neeshita Nyayapati remains a movie buff first and a Chief Content Producer second. She fell in love with movies in childhood and believes nothing matches the magic of watching a good film that moves you with a warm tub of popcorn in hand. Her love for writing about cinema follows that. Come Friday, you'll find her at her happy place, the movies, catching the latest rom-com or masala offering, for reviews or otherwise. As for the rest of the week, she's here reporting the juiciest news in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi or bringing out the best of celebs in interviews. While her niche is Telugu cinema, Neeshita likes to dabble in a little bit of everything to stay up to date. From film announcements to scandals and hard news angles, she has explored it all. A good book, a comforting cup of hot chocolate, puppy kisses and a stunning beach view are all she needs to unwind. Her passion for biking and travelling has taken her to various places across the country. She has found peace in everything from the frozen lakes of Gangtok to the coffee plantations of Coorg and the dense forests of Bandipur, to the monasteries of Darjeeling. But no matter where she goes, Neeshita loves coming across inspiring and moving stories.

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