Can Balakrishna revive career post 'Ruler' debacle?

Balakrishna's latest release Ruler, which hit screens on Dec. 20, 2019, has ended its box office run on a disappointing note.

The KS Ravikumar-directed film managed to collect a share of Rs 6.72 crore in the Telugu states, recovering nearly 33 per cent of the investment. The debacle essentially means 'Nata Simha', who started last year with box office duds NTR Kathanayakudu and NTR Mahanayakudu, has delivered three consecutive flops in 2019 much to the disappointment of 'N' fans. In these circumstances, it's clear that the mass hero needs to rework his strategy to bounce back.

Balakrishna could take a cue from Venkatesh and focus on multi-starrers. Last Sankranti, the Guru star teamed up with 'Mega Prince' Varun Tej to deliver sleeper hit F2. He tasted success again with the December release Venky Mama, which featured Naga Chaitanya as the parallel lead. Similarly, NBK might be able to connect with the Gen Y audience by teaming up with the younger lot.

Tollywood's resident 'Legend' also needs to understand the moods of the audience before taking up projects. KS Ravikumar and NBK's previous collaboration Jai Simha did not click with fans. The actioner barely scraped through due to the lacklustre performance of Pawan Kalyan's Agnyaathavaasi. As such, Ruler did not really excite movie buffs, which took a toll on opening day figures. To make matters worse, it was sidelined by the well-received Prati Roju Pandage, starring 'Supreme Hero' Sai Dharam Tej.

Meanwhile, with fans hoping for a remarkable turnaround from Balakrishna in 2020, the actor-politician has already turned his attention to his film with Boyapati Srinu, being referred to as NBK 106. The flick, touted to be an actioner, features him in a new avatar, which many feel might take Tollywood by storm. NBK and the mass filmmaker previously collaborated on the commercially successful Simha and Legend and movie buffs expect another solid entertainer from them.