'Kuberaa' Review: A Riveting Epic That Loses Steam in Its Own Indulgence; Dhanush Delivers A Masterclass

Kuberaa

In theaters now

Cast: Dhanush, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Rashmika Mandanna, Jim Sarbh, Dalip Tahil, Sayaji Shinde, Sunaina & more

Directed by: Sekhar Kammula

Produced by: Sree Venkateswara Cinemas & Amigos Creations

Rating - *** (3/5)

Kuberaa is a curious beast. You have three of perhaps the biggest stars of the Indian entertainment industry starring in a film together. And yet, it isn’t massy, which you would usually anticipate. There are no quintessential seetimaar moments, no slo-mo shots of swag-drenched masculinity that usually accompany the presence of such star power. What you do get instead is an engaging, gripping, and immersive thriller that also, quite frequently, drowns in its own indulgences. That’s Kuberaa for you. And that, precisely, is how director Sekhar Kammula operates.

You can easily call Kammula the Rajamouli of intimate stories and that’s purely for analogy purposes. He doesn’t go for volume or velocity but instead for veiled intent and a poetic undercurrent of discomfort. The problem is, he sometimes doesn’t know when to stop the poetry.

Oil, Greed, and a Deceptively Lowly Pawn

The premise? A search mission unearths the purest form of oil reserve. Enter, predictably but effectively, the power-hungry duo of a businessman and a politician. Their plot is simple in its evil: disguise the discovery as a subsidy and usurp control while the public remains blissfully unaware. They are prepared for collateral damage, of course. As long as it benefits them, they do not flinch.

But they can’t get their hands dirty, so they employ a wrongfully disgraced CBI officer named Deepak, played by Nagarjuna, to work the operation discreetly. Deepak’s intricate plan involves multiple layers and eventually ropes in a lowly yet razor-sharp beggar named Deva, played by Dhanush. An hour into the story, Sameera (Rashmika Mandanna) joins the chaos, an unanticipated addition who adds both depth and unpredictability to the story.

What follows is not so much a battle of equals as a scathing portrait of a nobody versus the behemoth. It’s a beggar against an industrialist. And even more importantly, it is humanity pitched against pure, uncut capitalism. You know the tropes, you know the David v/s Goliath story but you are still invested purely based on how real and riveting the situation turns out to be, and not otherwise.

The Myth of Wealth and the Treasure Hunt of the Soul

Kuberaa constantly plays with themes of wealth and worth. With crores at stake, the story dips into metaphors of Kuber Ka Khazana and speaks in dialogues that debate who is truly rich. The film doesn’t wear its commentary on its sleeve. Instead, it leaves it simmering under layered performances and loaded silences.

But make no mistake. At its core, this is Dhanush’s show. I mean it had to be.

Dhanush, the Chameleon King

Here is a megastar whose fans are used to witnessing massy entries even in the smallest of films. But Kammula immediately catches you off guard. The very first visual of Dhanush is that of a disheveled beggar, sprawled on the road. And yet, what he brings to this character is not sympathy but undeniable dignity.

Despite the presence of other notable actors and a stellar supporting cast, Dhanush towers above everyone. He possesses that rare ability to fully disappear into a character without ever appearing performative, showy, or self-aware. There’s a stillness to him, a grounded magnetism that refuses to shout and yet commands every inch of the screen. Kammula understands this strength and constructs the script around it.

It becomes Deva versus the world. And while he feels like a pariah cursed with bad luck, Sameera’s compassion keeps him afloat. There is no romantic cliché here. Her support stems purely from empathy, and this nuanced, platonic solidarity forms the emotional spine of the film.

Dhanush delivers a performance that feels almost unreal in its believability. A chameleon in every sense, his range is on full display here. He is the film’s soul. He is the reason you stay glued to a film that stretches to 181 minutes.

The Curse of 181 Minutes

That brings us to the beast in the room. The runtime. A film clocking in at three hours and one minute is always treading risky territory, especially when it lacks the mass-appeal elements that usually justify such a length. Unfortunately, this is where Kammula stumbles the hardest.

The screenplay never entirely loses grip but overstays its welcome more often than it should. Several sequences feel like they achieve their narrative purpose in the first few minutes. But instead of moving on, the film lingers, stretching scenes into semi-poetic monologues or dramatic pauses that add little to the momentum. There is verbiage where there should have been silence. There are silences where a punch of brevity would have worked wonders.

Kuberaa is a film brimming with fascinating ideas, but its over-indulgence stifles their impact. The film never turns boring but frequently feels fatigued. It’s like a thrilling novel that should have ended three chapters ago but continues to explain, embellish, and expand unnecessarily.

The Other Actors Hold Their Ground

Let us now move on to the other performances. Jim Sarbh, for instance, is clearly having a blast. As the cold, calculating, and ruthlessly charismatic millionaire, he is given full rein to revel in villainy. His role is not an afterthought. He’s very much a vital cog in the wheel of destruction. The best part? He enjoys being evil, and we enjoy watching him enjoy it.

Nagarjuna, as Deepak, plays the morally conflicted officer with quiet precision. He doesn’t go loud or aggressive but brings a haunted energy to his performance. There’s an exhaustion in his eyes, a fatigue that comes from constantly waging war against his own conscience. This internal chaos is palpable, and Nagarjuna makes sure you feel it without once spoon-feeding it to you.

And then comes Rashmika Mandanna. An actress who has, unfortunately, been panned for her Hindi outings, she surprises you here. This is not the Mandanna you’ve seen in formulaic roles. Kammula reshapes her. Her character Sameera isn’t heroic or grandiose. She is confused, scared, and helplessly human. She is thrust into this chaos and has no idea why. Mandanna channels that exact energy of being lost, and it works beautifully. This might just be her best performance yet. It’s also a strong reminder of what can happen when a director truly understands an actor’s rhythm and range.

A Beautiful Mess with Missed Opportunities

Kuberaa is a stretched mess and there is no denying it. But it is also an intelligent, subversive, and emotionally potent mess. It could have been a crisp, impactful thriller. It could have delivered its punches faster and louder. But instead, it wants to meditate. It wants to linger on the gaze, the silence, the unsaid. And in doing so, it stumbles.

By trying too hard and indulging too much, Kuberaa muddles what could have been a sharply focused narrative. The runtime becomes its own enemy. The weight of its ambition ends up overwhelming the strength of its story.

But when Kuberaa soars, it truly does. Its performances, especially Dhanush’s, are unforgettable. Its metaphors are textured. Its message is timely. Even in its flaws, you can’t help but be drawn into its orbit. And that is what a director like Sekhar Kammula brings to the table always, even when it is messy.

Kuberaa is not a perfect film. But it is an important one. And that, sometimes, is enough.

Is Kuberaa going to be the film that you will be watching this weekend? Let us know in your comments below.