'Kingdom' movie review: An underwhelming action drama
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The Hindu
3 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Actor Venkitesh VP on playing the villain in Vijay Devarakonda-starrer ‘Kingdom'
After participating in Nayika Nayakan, a talent hunt show that aimed to find lead actors for veteran Malayalam director Lal Jose's film, Venkitesh VP, affectionately known as Venky, had limited acting gigs. While he was offered multiple roles, he decided to wait for projects that excited him. In the meantime, Venky delivered pothichoru (Kerala-style wrapped lunch) with his friend and worked as a light boy for a wedding photographer, earning ₹200 to 300 a day, without his parents knowing. Things took a turn for the actor when he was called to meet Gowtam Tinnanuri after one of his associates showed him pictures of Venky as a villain in a Tamil movie. Immediately after their first meeting, Gowtam signed him on as Murugan, the psychopathic antagonist in his Kingdom. The film, starring Vijay Devarakonda, is running successfully in theatres. And Venky? He is on cloud nine after delivering a stellar performance as a bigoted smuggler, forced to live in the shadow of his father. 'On the first day, when we went to watch the movie in a theatre in Hyderabad, the crowd applauded my intro; that was the biggest highlight for me in all this. It felt great to get that response as a newcomer,' says Venky, who made his Telugu debut with Kingdom. The actor has worked in multiple Malayalam films and one movie in Tamil. His notable works include his roles in The Priest, starring Mammootty, and Kho-Kho, a sports drama starring Rajisha Vijayan. 'A few years ago, I acted in a Telugu movie which was never released, that's how I learned to speak the language a bit. I don't know grammar or rules. I memorised the dialogues, which helps with my fluency,' says Venky, who also dubbed for Murugan in Tamil. 'When it gets an OTT release and if there is a Malayalam version to it, I want to dub that too.' Venky showers praise on his crew. 'Gowtam sir is a brilliant technician, and very clear on what he wants. He will lead you to what he's expecting from you as an actor, and keep refining your performance.' He considers his costars, Vijay and Satyadev, great performers. 'Vijay is someone who supports his co-actors. When my character poster was released, he reshared it, praising my performance. He even reshared a reel posted by me with my mother in it. That was a surprise too.' Actor Satyadev shared his experience of working on Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya, the Telugu remake of Maheshinte Prathikaram, with Venky. One of Venky's biggest highlights of working on Kingdom was getting to be part of an Anirudh musical. 'Some time ago, my friends invited me to attend a concert by Anirudh. I was unable to go then. I told my friends 'It's alright. I will work on a movie with him.' I didn't think it would happen so soon,' he says, lauding the musician's impact in elevating several moments in the movie. 'I had a background music specifically for me.' Origin story Venky, who hails from West Fort in Thiruvananthapuram, is the only child of the late V Pichumani and Tharakumari S. During his early days, he was not active in extracurricular activities. He fell in love with cinema in college. 'Despite being an only child from a lower-middle-class family, my parents did not stop me when I expressed my desire to act. They said, 'Finish your post-graduation and do whatever you want.' For eight years, till I was 28, I earned ₹20,000 a year, acting in small roles or working on a daily wage,' says the 31-year-old actor. Venky said his parents were always supportive. 'They kept telling me, you will find something, even if we have some financial difficulties, we will figure it out. Even when my movies were dropped, they would still tell me not to lose hope.' 'Even when I wasn't earning, I was treated like a Mammootty or a Rajinikanth at home,' jokes Venky, who was firm on only acting in movies he wanted to. 'I have wished for this moment for a long time. I am receiving a lot of appreciation for my performance, my phone is always ringing, and my mother is delighted,' says Venky, who is looking for his next project.
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Kingdom Box Office Day 5: Vijay Deverakonda Film Sees Sharp Dip, Mints Only Rs 2 Crore
"Kingdom," starring Vijay Deverakonda, Satyadev, Venkatesh, and Bhagyashri Borse, saw a sharp dip, earning Rs 2.25 crore on Day 5. Kingdom Movie Box Office Collections: Kingdom seems to have hit a bit of a speed bump! After roaring into theatres with high hopes and a power-packed cast, Vijay Deverakonda, Satyadev, Venkatesh, and Bhagyashri Borse in tow, the action drama seems to be slowing down quicker than expected. Fans had a lot riding on this Gowtam Tinnanuri directorial, especially after the solid opening and decent reviews. But on Monday, the buzz fizzled. As per Sacnilk's latest numbers, day 5 saw a sharp dip in collections, with the film earning just around Rs 2 crore. According to the latest figures from Sacnilk, Kingdom earned just Rs 2.25 crore on Day 5, its lowest so far. The film had kicked off with a strong opening of Rs 18 crore on Thursday, but the weekend didn't see any big jump. It collected Rs 7.5 crore on Saturday and Rs 8 crore on Sunday. With Monday and Tuesday showing a clear dip, Kingdom's total box office collection now stands at Rs 43.15 crore. Despite the weekday dip, Vijay Deverakonda was all heart as he thanked fans for the overwhelming love the film received on its opening day. Taking to social media, the actor got emotional and wrote, 'I wish I could share with you how I feel right now… I wish you could all feel this with me.. Aah Venkanna Swami daya. Mee Andari Prema. Inka em kavali naa lanti okkadki (It's all thanks to Lord Balaji and your love. What else does someone like me need?)" At the heart of Kingdom is Vijay Deverakonda's Suri, a simple police constable with a very personal mission. He goes undercover in Sri Lanka to take down a dangerous drug cartel, hoping it'll somehow lead him to his long-lost brother, Siva (played by Satyadev). But things get messier than he imagined. He soon crosses paths with the menacing cartel kingpin Murugan (Venkitesh), and what follows is a high-stakes game of deception, danger, and emotional turmoil. Helping him navigate this chaos is Dr Madhu (Bhagyashri Borse), who is also working undercover. The film wraps up with a twisty finale that teases a sequel. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Kingdom actor Satyadev on his career-defining role: Helped me reach out to the masses
Satyadev Kancharana, one of the most happening actors in Telugu cinema, is on cloud 9 after his latest film, Kingdom, opened to a solid response globally. Having started his career with OTT shows like Gods of Dharmapuri and Locked (now available on OTTplay Premium), Satya has come a long way in his journey in the industry. Kingdom actor Satyadev Satyadev on Kingdom's success Kingdom, starring Vijay Deverakonda in the lead role, is helmed by Gowtam Tinnanuri. Satyadev plays the role of Siva, Vijay Deverakonda's elder brother, and has received a thumping response from both critics and audiences, alike. Speaking to OTTplay in an interview, Satyadev revealed that in his decade-long career, he had never received such overwhelming praise and is thrilled to bits. 'I've never received this many calls and messages in my entire career. Right from the day Kingdom released, my phone hasn't stopped buzzing with congratulations and love,' said Satyadev. The popular actor shared that director Gowtam Tinnanuri had him in mind while writing the story of Kingdom, but didn't approach him initially. 'Gowtam approached a few stars first, but as those didn't materialize, he came to me. The moment I heard the script, I okayed it right away. Kingdom has helped me reach out to the masses, and I'm so happy that my hard work has finally paid off,' he added. In the past, Satyadev has delivered memorable performances in films like Skylab, Zebra, and iSmart Shankar, now available on OTTplay Premium. However, his role as Siva in Kingdom has given his career a new lease of life. Satyadev gears up for his new series Arabia Kadali Having acted alongside the likes of Akshay Kumar and Chiranjeevi, Satyadev is now gearing up for the release of his new OTT series Arabia Kadali, which premieres on August 8, 2025, on Amazon Prime Video. In the series directed by Krish Jagarlamudi, he plays a fisherman who gets lost in Pakistani waters and is arrested by the army. Satya says his role will surely impress fans in a big way. Meanwhile, Kingdom continues to do excellent business worldwide, and all eyes are now on the second part, which is set to go on floors next year.
