Kuberaa

 

Sekhar Kammula is one of the most sensible directors in Telugu cinema. He’s selective with his scripts and stays true to his core style—telling stories that are relevant to society and centered around common people’s struggles. Except for one or two exceptions, most of his films are love stories or youth-centric. After Love Story, he brings us Kuberaa. The title itself is intriguing and felt unique. With Dhanush playing a beggar and King Nagarjuna taking on a key role, the curiosity only increased.

When the teaser of Kuberaa dropped along with the lyrical video of “Nadi Nadi,” showcasing several cuts from the movie, it sparked even more interest. That’s when I decided to go watch it. Adding to the excitement, this is Sekhar Kammula’s 25th film—so expectations were sky-high.

The basic plot revolves around Neeraj, a filthy rich man who wants to become the richest in the world. To achieve this, he targets natural oil reserves under government control. The story unfolds around the lengths he goes to, whether he succeeds, and how characters like a CBI officer (played by Nagarjuna), a beggar named Deva (played by Dhanush), and a supporting role by Rashmika are all connected.

The film begins by introducing Neeraj—a powerful businessman with control over multiple companies. He discovers oil in the Bay of Bengal and sets his sights on acquiring it. This setup immediately hooks you, making you wonder how the other characters will fit into this narrative. Nagarjuna’s character Deepak is introduced next, and it’s refreshing to see him in such a grounded role. Then comes Dhanush as Deva, with a powerful scene that marks his entry. What stands out is how these intro scenes are crafted without leaning into their star images—they’re presented purely as characters, not stars.

Alongside Deva, several other beggar characters are introduced through a strong song sequence. It’s genuinely stunning to see a star like Dhanush treated as just another character in the crowd, and that’s what makes it even more powerful.

Rashmika’s character comes in much later but plays a significant role.

While many associate Sekhar Kammula with love stories, films like Anamika and Leader proved he’s also adept at thrillers. He applies the same strength here—delivering a gripping narrative with philosophical undertones. He explores the harsh realities faced by beggars and how society often ignores their humanity, all within an investigative thriller framework that keeps things engaging.

The film has some powerful dialogues and scenes that carry Sekhar Kammula’s signature. The music by Devi Sri Prasad is a huge asset—it felt fresh and different. The background score, especially the signature theme for Neeraj, is excellent and haunting. Unfortunately, it seems one or two songs were trimmed from the final cut, but even those songs were well-composed.

The lyrics of the songs are very well written. Especially “Nadi Nadi"—it reminded me of Sri Sri’s famous song “Nenu Saitham.” The lyrics are that powerful, and the music adds so much intensity to it. 

The locations feel authentic, with scenes shot in real places like Tirupati, Mumbai streets, and a dumping yard—all enhancing the film’s realism. The cinematography by Niketh Bommi is excellent. He captured the realistic scenes beautifully, using the right color palette to match the mood of each location and scene.

Performance-wise, Dhanush is the heart of this film. He fully immerses himself in the character and stays consistent, even though the shoot spanned a long period during which he worked on other projects. He proves again why he’s a national award-winning actor. Nagarjuna also delivers a solid performance, portraying internal conflict with grace. His look—graying hair and all—perfectly suits the role, and I’d love to see him in more such parts. Rashmika supports Dhanush’s character well and adds a bit of humor. Both Dhanush and Rashmika seem to have dubbed their roles. The actor playing Neeraj is outstanding, holding his own in intense scenes with Nagarjuna. Even Nagarjuna himself mentioned being on his toes while acting with him. The rest of the cast also did well in their roles.

Of course, there are a few drawbacks. The pre-interval scenes feel a bit stretched, with some repetitive shots of Dhanush walking through Mumbai streets. The climax delivers a great message and strong dialogues but feels a bit abrupt, leaving a few questions unanswered. The title Kuberaa also needed a stronger justification within the story.

Still, despite these minor issues, Kuberaa is a refreshing film. It’s great to see stars like Dhanush and Nagarjuna stepping away from typical commercial roles—no song duets or mass fight scenes—and simply becoming their characters. It’s very much a Sekhar Kammula film, blending thriller elements with philosophical depth.

Go watch it—you won’t be disappointed. My rating: 8/10.