Kuberaa Review: Dhanush serves as the driving force in tale of ‘power vs money' with a stern performance by Nagarjuna

Pink Villa

4 hours ago

Kuberaa, starring Dhanush and Nagarjuna Akkineni in the lead roles, hit the big screens on June 20, 2025. The Sekhar Kammula directorial offers an interesting tale of power vs money with the director's unique and extreme portrayal of realism.
If you are planning to go deep into the webs of a crime-filled world, here's the Pinkvilla review for Kuberaa.
The Plot
Kuberaa narrates the tale of a business tycoon, Neeraj, a powerful man who plans to seize control of a newly discovered oil reserve in the Bay of Bengal. In order to make it a sure deal, he decides to bribe politicians from the entire nation with a sum of Rs 1 lakh crore.
As the deal requires precarious treatment, the businessman decides to seek help from Deepak, a former CBI officer. With the plan involving the use of a beggar, he incorporates Deva, a homeless man, into his scheme, which leads to chaos that nobody expected.
Whether the businessman succeeds in bribing the politicians and why the former CBI officer agreed to be part of the scheme form the rest of the film.
The Good
Exploring the facets of Kuberaa, the movie rides heavily on the characters Deva and Deepak. The roles are played by Dhanush and Nagarjuna Akkineni respectively. The actors have performed with utmost perfection.
With the Raayan actor in the lead, Dhanush completely surrenders himself to the narrative, once again proving his calibre as a versatile performer. As the Sekhar Kammula directorial explores the extremities of a social condition, the film lies deeply embedded in realism, a rare feat in Telugu cinema.
As the distinctive signature of the director is visually woven in the storyline, Kuberaa does seem to offer a novelty to its presentation, but the flaws of writing do not impact the characters in this film.
The director offers utmost care in execution, and the technical aspects stand strong with Devi Sri Prasad's musical tracks. The composer's skills as a musician are strongly showcased with the cinematography by Niketh Bommireddy, capturing each frame with precision and aesthetic quality.
The Bad
Kuberaa is a tale that offers a fresh plot, but sadly, the movie fails from a writing standpoint. The poor crafting of the screenplay is trifling in both the first half and the second half.
In the initial half, the Dhanush starrer sure takes its sweet time to establish the core aspects. The long duration for the world-building feels like a humongous task for a viewer, but a moment of elevation transforms it into an edge-of-the-seat thriller, leading to the midpoint.
While the second half manages to continue the momentum, the third act fails to keep it up, managing to lose focus. The climax, where it all ties up together, is a saving grace in the fleeting moment, partially making up for the lacklustre writing.
In all important aspects, Kuberaa suffers from a long runtime of more than 3 hours. While a writer and director may justify the duration as a necessity, a member of the audience may not be as impressed to spend such a huge chunk of time.
In respect to characters, Rashmika Mandanna was brilliant with her portrayal; however, it seems like her importance in the flick was nerfed at one point. The failure to edit the film more concisely is a big con for experiencing the full potential of the movie.
The Performances
As mentioned earlier, Dhanush is the driving force for the social thriller venture. From the introduction scene itself, the actor adapts to his surroundings, paying attention to detail on every nuance.
While Nagarjuna plays an age-appropriate role, the veteran star manages to showcase a door to his skills, often overlooked by many filmmakers. Rashmika offers her best version with this film.
Finally, the addition of a brilliant actor like Jim Sarbh makes you want him to appear in more South films.
Watch the trailer of Kuberaa:
The Verdict
Kuberaa is an interesting and unique attempt by Sekhar Kammula in blending commercial aspects with a realistic narrative. A talented ensemble cast at the helm, the social thriller is a fresh cup of tea despite its flaws.
If you love such genres or simply want to experience a masterclass in acting by Dhanush, then surely watch this movie without fail.