Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna discuss their research as the new YouTube instalment ties colonial railways to the film’s period setting ahead of the Oct 16 release.
The second instalment of the Never Forget The Truth documentary series is now live on YouTube, and it dives straight into the colonial railway system that fed Britain’s appetite for Indian grain.
Titled The History We Forgot, the episode links the iron tracks laid by the British to the larger narrative of Ranabaali, the period drama starring Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna. Both leads sit down with the filmmakers to explain how their characters navigate a world where rail lines were less about connectivity and more about extraction.
Rashmika, who spent weeks poring over archival material, says the research forced her to confront the human cost behind the glossy veneer of the era. “Learning about the people, the farms, the families that were uprooted… it hit me hard,” she shares in the clip. Vijay, meanwhile, challenges the popular myth that the railways were a boon for India. He points out that the tracks primarily served to shuttle raw produce from the hinterland to coastal ports, where it was loaded onto ships bound for Europe.
The documentary doesn’t just stop at railways. It also sketches how the colonial administration leveraged India’s agricultural surplus to fund its own coffers, turning fertile fields into revenue streams for the Empire. By connecting these dots, the filmmakers hope to give audiences a richer backdrop for the on‑screen drama, where the protagonists grapple with famine, oppression, and the fight for dignity.
Ranabaali is helmed by Rahul Sankrityan, produced under the Mythri Movie Makers banner by Naveen Yerneni and Y. Ravi Shankar, and presented by T‑Series. The film’s scale has been described as lavish, with period‑accurate sets and a soundtrack that blends folk motifs with contemporary arrangements. The story, set in the late‑19th century, follows a village’s struggle against the twin forces of drought and colonial exploitation.
The documentary series itself is a three‑part promotional push. After the first episode, The Famine We Forgot, which introduced the tragic backdrop, The History We Forgot expands the lens to economic policies. A third segment, The Men We Forgot, is slated for release on October 2, while a fourth piece, tentatively called The Last Load, will be announced later.
All eyes are on the film’s October 16 theatrical launch, timed to coincide with the Vijayadashami festival, a strategic window that usually guarantees a strong box‑office opening in the south. The early buzz generated by the documentary clips suggests that the marketing machine is working, especially among history buffs and fans of the lead pair.
As the release date draws nearer, the next step will be the film’s trailer drop, which is expected to weave the documentary’s factual tone with the drama’s emotional core. Whether that blend will translate into ticket sales remains to be seen, but the promotional strategy has certainly set the stage for a conversation‑rich opening weekend.
What’s next? Keep an eye on the official YouTube channel for the upcoming The Men We Forgot episode on October 2, and mark your calendars for the grand premiere on Vijayadashami.
Be the first to comment
Join the argument. No password, just your email or a passkey.