Kuberaa(2025)
🎬 Overview
Title: Kuberaa (stylized with two ‘a’s)
Director / Writer: Sekhar Kammula (co-writer Chaithanya Pingali)
Genres: Crime drama, thriller, socio-political
Languages: Telugu & Tamil (also released in Hindi, Malayalam & Kannada)
Runtime: ~181–182 minutes
Release Date: 20 June 2025 (Pan-India)
Budget: ₹120–150 crore
🧑🤝🧑 Cast & Crew
Dhanush as Deva Kallam: a beggar caught in a money-laundering conspiracy
Nagarjuna Akkineni as Deepak: a formerly honest CBI officer drawn into corruption
Jim Sarbh as Neeraj Mitra: cunning businessman orchestrating the heist
Rashmika Mandanna as Sameera: a key character who intersects with Deva
Dalip Tahil, plus supporting cast Hareesh Peradi, Sayaji Shinde, Saurav Khurana
Music: Devi Sri Prasad
Cinematography: Niketh Bommireddy; Editing: Karthika Srinivas
🔍 Plot Summary
A powerful businessman, Neeraj, hires a jailed CBI officer, Deepak, to launder a massive ₹1 lakh crore bribe to secure oil-field rights. They recruit beggars—including Deva—to open shell accounts while Deva finds himself in grave danger and on the run. His meeting with Sameera adds emotional stakes in this race for survival, power, and justice.
⭐ Reception
📊 Box Office
Opening Day: ₹13 crore in India; ₹26 crore worldwide
First Weekend: ₹79 crore global; ₹48.5 crore domestic
Week 1 Total: ₹104 crore worldwide
Day 8–11: Crossed ₹100 crore mark; by day 11 reached ~₹81.7 crore India
📝 Critical Response
Rotten Tomatoes: 72% (4 critics)
Notable Reviews:
Firstpost: Dhanush’s performance is heartfelt and haunting
The Hindu/Mid‑Day/Cinema Spice: Praised for its bold socio-political angle and strong performances, though highlighted pacing issues and length
India Today: Described it as “compelling premise meets conventional end”; gave 3/5 stars
🎯 Highlights & Criticisms
Strengths
Dhanush delivers a deeply immersive portrayal of Deva; often described as National Award-worthy
Nagarjuna and Jim Sarbh offer solid support with layered performances
Refreshing genre shift for Sekhar Kammula—shifting from romance to gritty crime drama
Cinematography and production design effectively underscore class contrasts
Criticisms
Nearly 3-hour runtime considered bloated, especially the second half
Narrative sometimes predictable with underdeveloped subplots
✅ Conclusion
Kuberaa emerges as a bold, socially charged crime drama anchored in strong performances, especially by Dhanush. It’s a departure from formulaic storytelling—yet its excessive runtime and pacing slow its impact. Still, it’s refreshing to see mainstream Indian cinema critique power, corruption, and marginalization so directly.
