If Khalifa: The Ruler continues to bleed at the box office, the odds of a big-budget sequel materialising drop to practically zero. The harsh reality of franchise filmmaking is incredibly simple: If the 'ruler' fails to conquer, absolutely no one is going to care about the 'legacy', no matter how many superstars you cram onto a poster.
Khalifa wants to build a universe, but struggles to build a compelling film, leaving Prithviraj Sukumaran to carry a derivative thriller almost entirely on his shoulders laments Sreeju Sudhakaran.