As Ranabaali gears up for its theatrical release, Vijay Deverakonda and the film’s makers are addressing the negativity surrounding the film. At a press conference in Hyderabad, Vijay called the trolling manufactured, saying the same opinions being repeated online raise questions. Now, producer Ravi Shankar has come out in his support, urging people to look at the actor’s work instead of spreading negativity.
Ranabaali producer defends Vijay amid trolls
At the trailer launch of Ranabaali, producer Ravi Shankar of Mythri Movie Makers openly addressed trolls and said, “I have a small request. I have known Vijay for close to a decade now. He has an extraordinary character and is an extraordinary person. I like him a lot; he’s a very nice person and quite soft. But I see people spreading negative propaganda on social media, no matter what he does. I am requesting all of you. He is such a good man. Why do you need to do this? See his effort instead. If you don’t like a film, you’re allowed to have an opinion.”
#Ranabaali Producer Ravi Shankar ADDRESSES THE NEGATIVITY AROUND #VijayDeverakonda…!! “VIJAY is one of the GOOD & SWEETEST ACTOR we’ve known in the past 10 years of travelling with him. There is unnecessary negativity, propaganda being created around him these days…” https://t.co/NyunILTcqv
— Rangasthalam (@RangasthalamIN) October 8, 2026
He added, “I’ve never seen him talk ill about anyone or care about any of this. He doesn’t have a world beyond his role and cinema. Whatever negativity you have against him in your heart, please get rid of it.”
Vijay Deverakonda on trolls
Vijay Deverakonda called the hate around Ranabaali “manufactured”, reacting to social media claims that audiences would rather watch Jailer 2. He said repeated opinions online can be part of a manufactured narrative.
“First of all, we can’t even call it hate. Because 90 percent of it is manufactured. There’s a batch that drops Reels at a time that they’d rather watch Jailer 2 over Ranabaali, despite it being a Telugu film.” He also added, “People can have opinions, but if you see the same opinion everywhere, it’s manufactured. What they must understand is that the attacks they’re paid for today, AI will do tomorrow.”
About Ranabaali
The trailer of Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna-starrer Ranabaali was unveiled on October 8. The 3-minute-56-second trailer follows the story of a devastating famine that grips South India during British oppression. The film will hit theatres in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam on October 16, giving strong competition to Nelson Dilipkumar and Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2.
