'Dil Ruba' Movie Review

'Dil Ruba' Movie Review

Actors: Kiran Abbavaram, Ruksar Dhillon, Khyati Davidson, John Vijay, Anand, Satya, Aadukalam Naren, Tulasi, Sameer, Vasu Inturi and others

Music: Sam CS

Cinematography: Daniel Vishwas

Producers: Vikram Mehra, M Siddharth Anand Kumar, Jojo Jose, Ravi, Rakesh Reddy

Written-Directed by: Vishwa Karun

Young hero Kiran Abbavaram, who broke his flop streak with the blockbuster "Ka" last year, is back with his latest film, Dil Ruba which has hit the marquee today (March 14th). Directed by debutant Vishwa Karun, this romantic drama came amidst expectations that the hero would kick off a blockbuster streak with back-to-back hits. Let's take a look at what the film is like.

Story:

Sidhu (Kiran Abbavaram) is a young man who has faced two major heartbreaks in life. The first one is that his father takes his own life after being deceived by someone he once helped. Then, at his lowest point, his girlfriend Maggie (Khyati Davidson) misunderstands him, chooses to marry someone else, and leaves him behind. Disillusioned and upset—especially toward people and women— Sidhu leaves his hometown and moves to Mangalore, to give himself a fresh start.

In Mangalore, he meets Anjali (Ruksar Dhillon), a vibrant and kind-hearted girl who not only likes him but pursues him as well. Over time, Sidhu begins to open up and reciprocate her feelings. Just as their love story seems to be heading in a happy direction, cracks start to appear due to Sidhu's deep-seated issues and aggressive behaviour. Despite Anjali's efforts to make him change, he refuses to listen leading to conflicts and putting him at a crossroads.

Will Siddhu realize the consequences of his actions before it's too late? Can love heal his wounds and change his perspective? Will Sidhu and Anjali overcome their differences and reunite? The answers unfold in this emotional love story.

Analysis:

“There is no value for the 'thank you' said after one's need is fulfilled, and for the 'sorry' after committing a grave mistake". This is the core philosophy that drives Dil Ruba's hero. The film revolves around this idea, but it raises an apparent question— why would anyone say thank you or sorry if they are not in these situations? Like how the logic behind this dialogue feels flawed, even the portrayal of the protagonist is the same inside Dil Ruba.

The hero's character, much like this unbearable philosophy, feels stubborn and misguided. As he sticks to these beliefs like not even expressing basic courtesies to people, surely the audience finds it difficult to connect with him. A protagonist who behaves irrationally without reason is hard to love, making it a challenge for the audience to stay interested further in his journey. While the film does have its moments like some intense dialogues, a few engaging scenes, and of course a couple of good songs and impressive BGM, all these together don't match the euphoria created by 'Ka' back then, making 'Dil Ruba' a lacklustre affair.

In one scene from Dil Ruba, the hero and heroine are sitting in a car on the beach at midnight when the police arrive. When the Inspectors ask who the girl is, the hero confidently replies, “She's my wife. We came here to celebrate my birthday.” And the CI casually responds, “She's my daughter". One would expect some fireworks from a dotted father in such situations no matter what, but in Dil Raju, the conversation continues as if this is a completely normal situation and the heroine simply stands by her father without any discomfort, as the scene progresses. This is just a sample.

Guess what, things only get more bizarre as the film progresses. A six-month pregnant woman (hero's ex-GF) travels from the USA to India just to fix her former lover's (hero) love life. As if that wasn't enough, the six-month pregnant ex-lover joins the same college of our hero as a guest lecturer. There's more too. Her husband calls up the hero and casually warns, “Be careful, bro.” Moments like these leave you wondering and also raise doubts. While the characters are ultra-modern and progressive, the story is pretty outdated.

Inside Dil Ruba, looking at the initial scenes and depth-laced dialogues, one expects an intense love story that we haven't seen in recent times. The hero's journey, which begins with the pain of a breakup, starts on an intriguing note. The director does a decent job of setting the film against the picturesque backdrop of Mangalore, offering beautiful visuals. Ruksar Dhillon's character and her interactions with the hero engage the audience, adding charm to the film. Satya's comedy also provides some lighthearted moments, while the song Hey Jingili blends in very well, thus making the first half of Dil Ruba fairly enjoyable. However, the real trouble begins when the film tries to shift gears by introducing action elements and a villain.

The antagonist, named Joker, played by John Vijay, is built up with much hype, but his actions later feel completely disconnected from that buildup. He appears like a 'joker' in this story and ends up irritating the audience whenever he appears on the screen. On one side, the hero and heroine are caught in misunderstandings and conflicts that fail to generate any real emotional impact. On the other, the villain's track drags down the film, hitting hard on the viewer. That made Dil Ruba's second half lose its charm.

You can have a look at Dil Ruba for a few enjoyable moments in the first half— including Kiran-Ruksar scenes, music and some engaging performances— but expecting more from the second half would only be a disappointing fare.

Performances:

Kiran Abbavaram looks charming as a lover boy in Dil Ruba, delivering one of the best looks in his career so far. He brings good energy to the role and impresses with dances and fights. However, his dialogue delivery in emotionally intense scenes lacks aggression. Ruksar Dhillon looks appealing on screen and delivers a decent performance. Khyati Davidson, who plays the second heroine, does a fair job. John Vijay, who plays the villain, doesn't bring anything new to the table. His portrayal is repetitive and boring. Satya manages to bring a few laughs with his comedy, but given his track record, especially after Mathu Vadhalara-2, one would anticipate more. Among the supporting cast, Aadukalam Naren, Anand, Tulasi, and Sameer perform well with what is given to them, but their characters don't leave a lasting impact.

Technicians:

Among music director Sam CS's compositions, Hey Jingili stands out as a special track. The rest of the songs are decent, but it's the background score where he truly shines. Whether in romantic moments or action sequences, his music elevated scenes well. Daniel Vishwas' cinematography is satisfactory, capturing the Mangalore backdrop beautifully and adding a visually pleasant touch to the film. The production values are adequate for the film's scale, maintaining a polished look.

Writer-director Vishwa Karun, however, doesn't bring anything fresh to the table with this story. His execution of the narrative feels average, while he handles the love story moderately well. He's good in terms of dialogues though. His attempt to carve out action elements completely appears to be out of track.

Verdict: Dil Ruba... Fails to touch 'Dil'

Rating- 2.25/5