Director: Sekhar Kammula
Cast: Dhanush, Nagarjuna, Rashmika Mandanna, Jim Sarbh
Run Time: 3 hours 2 minutes
Release Date: 20 June 2025
Genre: Crime, Thriller
After the success of Sir, Dhanush is back with his second straight Telugu film, Kuberaa. This time, he teams up with Sekhar Kammula, a director known for his feel-good and emotional stories. But unlike his usual style, Kuberaa seems to explore a different zone. Adding to the excitement, Nagarjuna plays a key role and Rashmika Mandanna also gets a strong character. With such a unique combo, there’s a lot of curiosity around this film. So, let’s see how Kuberaa turned out.
Story
Neeraj Mitra (Jim Sarbh) is a powerful corporate businessman who wants to acquire a government oil rig at any cost. For that, he needs to move a bribe of ₹1 lakh crore. To execute this illegal plan, he brings a former CBI officer Deepak (Nagarjuna) out of jail a man imprisoned on false charges.
Deepak hatches a clever plan: he opens bank accounts in the names of four beggars to safely transfer the black money. After completing their task, three of the beggars are eliminated. But the fourth Deva (Dhanush) goes missing.
The rest of the film follows Deepak’s team as they try to track Deva down. Can they retrieve the ₹10,000 crore parked in Deva’s name? Who really is Deva? What is Rashmika’s connection to all of this? To find out the answers you have to watch the movie in big screen.
Performance
Dhanush, as usual, delivers a brilliant performance. He completely transforms into the innocent beggar Deva, bringing both emotion and depth to the role with ease. His body language and expressions speak louder than words in many scenes.
Nagarjuna’s performance is equally impressive. He plays the serious CBI officer Deepak with conviction, and his character arc is well-written and engaging. His calm intensity adds weight to the narrative.
Rashmika Mandanna also does a great job in her role. It’s refreshing to see her in a performance oriented part, and she handles it with maturity. The remaining cast members perform decently and support the story well.
Director Sekhar Kammula deserves credit for stepping out of his comfort zone and trying something new. While it may not be perfect, his attempt at a crime drama with a message is commendable.
A special mention to Devi Sri Prasad, his background score lifts several scenes and brings the much needed energy, especially in tense moments.
Analysis
Kuberaa starts with an interesting setup and has the potential to be a gripping thriller. The core idea using beggars as benamis in a giant money laundering operation is fresh and bold. Sekhar Kammula deserves credit for attempting something out of his comfort zone.
The first half holds your attention with good character build up and solid emotional scenes. A few sequences between Dhanush and Nagarjuna are well written and performed.
However, as the film moves into the second half, the predictability kicks in, and the story loses momentum. The climax is underwhelming and ends too abruptly. The runtime becomes a big drawback, making the film feel stretched. Tight editing could have helped maintain the tension and energy.
On the positive side, Devi Sri Prasad’s background music is excellent, and the cinematography is rich. Some emotional moments do land well, and the film tries to blend social commentary with crime drama.
Verdict
Kuberaa is a film that dares to try something different, and that effort deserves appreciation. Dhanush and Nagarjuna carry the film with strong performances, But with a predictable narrative, slow pacing, and a flat climax, the film ends up being an average experience. A tighter screenplay and more engaging second half could have made a huge difference.
Rating: 2.5/5
