Ruslaan

Ruslaan Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Aayush Sharma, Jagapathi Babu, Sushrii Mishraa, Vidya Malavade

Director: Karan L Butani

What’s Good: The spy action thriller doesn’t delve on hatred

What’s Bad: The story’s pace

Loo Break: Whenever you feel the narrative isn’t progressing much

Watch or Not?: If you want to see Aayush Sharma in action

Language: Hindi

Available On: Theatrical release

Runtime: 139 Minutes

User Rating:

The story begins in 2004, when a young Ruslaan watches his parents die before his eyes. His father is accused of conspiring in a bomb blast at a school in Mumbai. Ruslaan is adopted by ATS Chief Sameer Singh (Jagapathi Babu), who leads the encounter mission that killed his father. As a grown-up, Ruslaan (Aayush Sharma) works as a spy for RAW, where Mantra (Vidya Malvade) is his reporting officer. Ruslaan wants to prove that a terrorist’s son is not a terrorist and would do anything to protect his nation. However, things go wrong for him when everyone around him starts doubting his intentions. Will he prove his innocence?

Ruslaan Movie Review: Script Analysis

The story is written by Shiva, and the screenplay for Karan Lalit Butani’s directorial is penned by Yunus Sajawal, Mohit Srivastava, and Kavin Dave. Amidst the slow-motion fight scenes, we’re constantly reminded that Ruslaan is a true fighter, and loyal to his nation. We learn that Pakistan and China are planning something big that will harm Indians. So, Ruslaan is assigned the mission to gather as much information as possible. Ruslaan’s adoptive father doesn’t want him to join any services, so he secretly works for RAW.

The movie takes time to build up in the first 45 minutes, but we’re kept hooked on the mystery surrounding a terrorist named Kasim. Everyone addresses him as a “ghost” because no one has seen him, but he ensures the job is done. Kasim is a big threat to India. But even the mystery fizzles out due to the slow storytelling, until the lift sequence. The lift fight sequence, where Ruslaan fights to save his friend, is action-packed and entertaining. It’s after this scene that the first twist arrives in the movie.

The interval block is intriguing. It is packed with fast-paced action and suspense, leaving you curious about how Ruslaan will prove his innocence, especially to his father/ATS Chief Sameer Singh. The story again slows down in the second half. From Mumbai, the plot shifts to Azerbaijan, which seldom makes the story intriguing. The writers have thrown easy “challenges” at our protagonist, and he escapes them quickly every time.

Towards the climax, we’re again left wondering about Kasim’s identity. The makers managed to startle me when they revealed Kasim’s real identity. However, the twist makes you question the logic, considering the prominence of this man in the story. The makers tried to make the climax emotional, but struggled a bit. The dialogues regarding patriotism felt clichéd, while the humour fell flat.

Ruslaan Movie Review: Star Performance

Aayush Sharma, as Ruslaan, packs many kicks and punches in the action thriller. The fight scenes featuring him are choreographed well, but they’re not extraordinary. Sushrii Shreya Mishraa plays Sharma’s love interest and pivotal character. The actress supports the story well; however, the romance looks forced. Jagapathi Babu and Vidya Malavade deliver good performances.