Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay in Chennai during Ranabaali promotions. The Telugu period drama releases October 16, a day after Rajinikanth's Jailer 2.
CHENNAI, October 13, 2026: Actor couple Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president Vijay in Chennai, days before their period drama Ranabaali reaches theatres on October 16. Deverakonda shared pictures from the meeting on Monday, calling the former superstar an instant favourite.
In his post, Deverakonda said the Chief Minister received them with warmth despite a long day and spoke about life, work and the world in personal terms. "One meeting and sir is already a favourite," he wrote. According to Times of India, it was his first meeting with the actor-turned-politician. The photographs show Deverakonda in a formal bandhgala jacket and Rashmika in a dark blue silk saree, with the Chief Minister in a navy shirt. One picture captures Vijay hugging Deverakonda. The couple is in the city for promotions, and the Chief Minister, busy with administrative work, reportedly made time to wish them well on the eve of the release.
Rashmika posted her own set of pictures and described a journey from long-time fan to co-star to admirer of the Chief Minister. She shared the screen with Vijay in the 2023 film Varisu, directed by Vamshi Paidipally and released in Telugu as Vaarasudu. Her note wished him the best in his new role. Vijay took charge as Chief Minister after an electoral win, a major shift from his decades-long film career, and congratulations have come from across the industry, including from Deverakonda.
Ranabaali is the third film for Deverakonda and Rashmika after Geetha Govindam (2018) and Dear Comrade (2019), and their first together since their marriage. Directed by Rahul Sankrityan and produced by Mythri Movie Makers and T-Series, the film is set in the 1870s against the Great Madras Famine of 1876-78. It follows a folkloric warrior in Rayalaseema who leads a village against British tax and grain policies. Originally slated for September 11, the film moved to October 16 and now opens a day after Rajinikanth's Jailer 2, directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, which releases on October 15. At the trailer launch in Hyderabad, Deverakonda dismissed online comparisons between the two films as manufactured, a remark that has kept the festive-season release in the spotlight.
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