Different from his usual feel-good movies, Sekhar Kammula’s Kuberaa is a dark testament to how far people can go to protect what they love. Known for his content-driven movies that showcase the beauty of human relationships and the stark reality of social issues, Kammula’s Kuberaa promises a lot, but ultimately falls short of its potential.
The plot revolves around how a beggar and an ex-CBI officer find themselves dangerously involved in an uber-rich billionaire's quest for power. The story begins with an oil rig explosion, the first of many fatalities caused by a wealthy man’s ambition for more power. His ambition is to privatise India’s first-of-its-own oil rig and buy off politicians for his cause so that he can elevate his power among the uber-rich — and who better to essay this role than Jim Sarbh?
Jim Sarbh is believable in his role as the wealthy baddy Neeraj, wearing the opulence of his riches on his sleeve. The weight of his riches reflected around the screen is almost suffocating, unconsciously acting as a sinister intimidation tactic. He is filthy rich, and he knows it, but it is his greed that makes him dangerous. Murdering people for his cause comes as easily to him as buying off politicians. And it is into this web of his ambition that Deva, a beggar, and Deepak, an ex-CBI official, find themselves woven as a pawn and an unlikely loyalist, respectively.
One of the highly anticipated movies of 2025, Kuberaa first drew widespread attention when it teased Dhanush in a never-before-seen role, and rightfully so. Dhanush is exemplary in his role as the innocent simpleton Deva, who believes that even beggars should “live life for the sake of living.” Despite the harsh realities of his life, he remains very innocent and is more than horrified when he confronts the world of the powerful and his place in it. Nagarjuna is commendable, too, in his performance as the anti-hero Deepak, an ex-government officer who, upon realising that justice is dictated by power and money, joins the dark side.
Though vastly different from each other and hailing from different strata of society, the three men have something in common: they are willing to go to whatever extent to protect what they love — for Neeraj, it's his power and prestige; for Dheeraj, it's his family; and for Deva, it’s the people he loves and himself.
However, the stellar performances of Sarbh, Dhanush and Nagarjuna are the only factors that make this film worth watching. With a runtime that extends over three hours, the plot is stretched wonderfully thin. The pace is choppy, and despite an interesting storyline, the narrative is flat and rushed. The second half is engaging, but the climax is abrupt and hollow, and the rather anticlimactic ending has its fair share of plot holes. Despite the needlessly extended duration stretching the story to the max, the film is unable to land a proper ending, making it a lengthy and tiresome watch.
Rashmika Mandanna as the female lead has very little to offer. Her screen presence as a lead is strangely limited and her character essentially functions as the comic relief at times. Her diminished time slot fails to allow her to register any real impact on the film's plot. Sadly, her character functions merely as an accessory, with no real depth.
The film is watchable for its wonderful actors who showcase seemingly immense depth in the characters they portray within the limited plot and its subtle song placements. But unfortunately, this 'good vs evil' plot has nothing new to offer. However, the story does have a few memorable moments of its own, where it functions as a social commentary on the power money holds, the stark disturbing realities of the destitute, and the dispensability of the powerless at the hands of the powerful. Compared to the intensity of Kammula’s previous works, this one may not be as impactful, but, overall, it makes for a decent watch.
Film: Kuberaa
Director: Sekhar Kammula
Cast: Dhanush, Nagarjuna, Jim Sarbh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 2.5/5
