Ruler

Balakrishna can do just about anything. He can jump down from choppers to rescue a lady from committing suicide or single-handedly beat up a train full of goons despite being stabbed multiple times. KS Ravikumar's Ruler follows the tried-and-tested template of a larger-than-life projection of Balakrishna but with a plot ridden with stereotypes and crass humour, the film only succeeds in frustrating the viewers.The film begins with Sarojini Naidu (Jayasudha) who meets a wounded stranger, who had met with an accident and had suffered multiple stab wounds. The next minute, the two are in the ICU with Sarojini facing a serious threat to her life. But when someone attempts to kill her, the stranger miraculously wakes up from his coma and saves her. Sarojini is so grateful that she raises him as her own son and makes him the chairman of her group of companies. With his memory lost, he becomes Arjun Prasad (Nandamuri Balakrishna). He travels in choppers and romances Harika (Sonal Chauhan), the chairman of a rival company. His mother tries everything in her power to keep his past from him, but it’s only a matter of time before Arjun runs into his past again.Aside from a stereotypical plot and crass humour, the biggest issue with Ruler is the sheer incoherence in the screenplay. At times, there's a jump from one scene to the next without any real logic. For instance, there's a scene where Balakrishna offers to befriend Sonal Chauhan putting an end to their farcical rivalry. As expected, a song follows. But what surprisingly, we see Vedhika shake a leg with Balakrishna, a character that hasn't been introduced in the film at all. At first, you'd think it's a mistake, but it seems that's the director's way of introducing this character. As viewers, you're left none the wiser. This is just one of many such incoherent moments in the screenplay. It seems like the film was wrapped up in a hurry and completely lacks finesse.Nandamuri Balakrishna in his new look does himself no favours. He comes across as a guy who's trying too hard to look young and his romantic sequences with Sonal Chauhan and Vedhika (both in inconsequential roles) is cringe-worthy. The actor might want to reconsider not doing the same films he did 20 years ago, because the audience has changed and wants more than that.Even if you're a fan of the brand of entertainment that one could expect from a Balakrishna film, Ruler can frustrate you as a viewer. With such lack of imagination and shoddy narration, the film leaves you with a migraine.

'Ruler' is a deadly combination of dated elements meeting a pedestrian universe. With a predictable story and a set of embarrassing scenes/characters, this one is an unforgiving nightmare.

On the whole, Ruler is a typical mass drama that is aimed at Balayya’s fans. They will love him in a posh and mass avatar but the story and narration are just ordinary. The second half falls flat as the proceedings showcased are slow and over the top making this film a below-par watch this weekend. Watch it only for Balayya and nothing else.