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The Hindu
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Kuberaa' movie review: Sekhar Kammula's brave film is imperfect, yet compelling
The film begins by acknowledging its writer-director's 25-year career, and the title card — Sekhar Kammula's Kuberaa —says it all. Kuberaa is driven by its director and his ambitious tale that does not pander to the starry aura of Dhanush, Nagarjuna Akkineni, and Rashmika Mandanna. Sekhar makes them play characters — men and women inhabiting a complex world driven by money, power and greed. The narrative is not perfect. Yet, it is a brave one in the realm of mainstream Telugu cinema, giving viewers plenty to chew on. In broad terms, Kuberaa is the story of a capitalist exploiting those who are below the poverty line. How these two worlds collide makes all the difference. A multi-billionaire (Jim Sarbh as Neeraj Mitra) believes 'fame is power'. He lives in a Mumbai high-rise that has an infinity pool. At the other end of the spectrum are those who beg for alms, whom this film describes as the 'invisible', brushed aside at traffic signals and at places of worship as an inconvenience. Kuberaa (Telugu) Director: Sekhar Kammula Cast: Dhanush, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Rashmika Mandanna, Jim Sarbh Run-time: 182 minutes Storyline: A business tycoon's ambitious plans are under threat when an underdog's tenacity to survive poses unexpected challenges. The first hour unravels the different worlds. A pacy opening sequence establishes the power games of the business tycoon, who does not flinch at dispensing with lives for his ambition. Jim Sarbh does not miss a beat as the cold, calculating antagonist. His ability to speak Telugu, with all the intonations, is a bonus. Sekhar introduces his key players in a non-formulaic manner. When Dhanush, as Deva the beggar, comes into view, the audience cheers. The actor has played realistic characters that represent the oppressed sections of society in the past with admirable consistency. Here, he takes it a notch higher. The writing gives him, and his associates, enough material to work with as the narrative takes a close look at the life of beggars. Even if groomed and dressed up in the best of suits, can they grasp what is happening around them? Can they be exploited for the bare minimum needs of food and shelter? A telling sequence shows the lack of dignity in their death. These polar opposite worlds cross paths with the help of CBI officer Deepak Tej (Nagarjuna), now behind bars for just doing his job. Nagarjuna plays a man in turmoil, one who wants to do the right thing but is manipulated to go against his conscience. Nagarjuna conveys the anguish of his character with restrained intensity. His body language and eyes convey the plight of a lion, now caged. It takes a while for the narrative to find its rhythm, as it shifts between the characters. Niketh Bommi's cinematography and Thota Tharani's production design establish the uber-luxurious world of Neeraj Mitra, with imposing structures that dwarf those who work for him. At other times, Niketh and Tharani work in the background, staying invisible and letting the attention remain solely on the story and its characters. Substantial portions of the film unfold in real locations, from Mumbai's landmarks to the garbage dumps, and all of this adds credence to the narrative. The narrative comes to a boil once the cards are revealed and a cat-and-mouse game for survival begins. A character's love for animals also adds depth to the proceedings. If three characters — representing the uber rich, the middle class, and the lower strata — caught in a tangle is not enough, a fourth character brings an edge to the drama. The quiet yet effective introduction shot of Rashmika Mandanna as Sameera is worth a mention. As the film progresses, she is a revelation, blending innocence, helplessness and gentle humour. Through the film, Sekhar questions if one man's greed and ambition should throw everyone else into a spiral. Do the oppressed not stand a chance to survive with dignity? The questions recur and there are times the writing gets preachy. Some of the best portions are when the film is in a thriller zone with the possibility of the tables turning. There is trust, betrayal, and a quest for redemption. However, the final portions are a tad unconvincing. It appears as though the director, who has written the film with his long-time associate Chaitanya Pingali, wanted to move away from a predictable path and instead, deliver poetic justice. The transitions between a few sequences also feel abrupt. For instance, it takes a while to discern that four beggars have been brought in from four different corners of the country. A subplot involving a pregnant woman (despite being convincingly portrayed) is like a sore thumb; so is a brief flashback involving a young mother. A few years ago, while remaking Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani in Telugu (as Anamika), Sekhar refrained from portraying his protagonist as a pregnant woman, arguing that he did not want to evoke audience sympathy merely by showing a pregnant woman in distress. Here, however, this aspect is played up and the character's conclusion seems contrived. A one-note sidekick of the antagonist is also annoying. A few deft touches that work in favour of the narrative are the nuggets of Deva's childhood and his tenacity to survive. In a scene, Deva bathing in water that streams from a broken pipeline, against the words 'save water', which shows the cracks in urban infrastructure. Deva's frequent query about the day of the week and how it ties up to food and religion is a smart observation. Also chuckle-worthy is how a character promises to offer a diamond crown to the temple if his problems are solved. Kuberaa leaves a few questions unanswered towards the end. These niggles stop the story from being wholly compelling. Music composer Devi Sri Prasad who deftly switches between the different worlds, makes us overlook a few rough edges with his score that is sometimes subdued and at other times, rousing. Kuberaa falls short of being a gamechanger. But it is a brave film from a director who has often stepped away from the norm, and raised pertinent questions. That is ample reason to cheer. Kuberaa is currently running in theatres
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Kuberaa trailer: Dhanush, Nagarjuna collide in battle of ambition, power
The trailer of the Dhanush and Nagarjuna starrer Kuberaa has released, offering an intense glimpse into a world where ambition, power and morality collide. The film is helmed by Dollar Dreams fame director Sekhar Kammula and will release in theatres on June 20, 2025. Rashmika Mandanna and Jim Sarbh play prominent roles in this upcoming crime drama. Going by the trailer, Dhanush plays a beggar mentored by Nagarjuna, who appears to be a man of influence who believes that the country is run only by "money" and "power" and not by laws and rules. The trailer then unfolds the rising tensions between Nagarjuna, Jim Sarbh, and the government as they desperately try to track down Dhanush, who appears to disrupt their game of money and greed. Mandanna's character appears to be emotionally vulnerable as she warns Dhanush about the control of the rich and powerful. The music of Devi Sri Prasad adds a mysterious touch to the film,. The film is jointly produced by Suniel Narang and Puskur Ram Mohan Rao under the banner of Sree Venkateswara Cinemas LLP and Amigos Creations Pvt Ltd. Taking to X, Sree Venkateswara Cinemas LLP shared the movie's trailer.
Indian Express
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Nagarjuna says Rashmika Mandanna has beaten all of them at the box office: ‘She is the one with Rs 2000-3000 crore collections'
The team of Kuberaa, including Rashmika Mandanna, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Dhanush, and Jim Sarbh, were present at the launch of the song 'Pippi Pippi Dum Dum Du' in Mumbai. At the event, Nagarjuna heaped praise on his co-stars Rashmika Mandanna and Jim Sarbh. He also expressed gratitude for the warm reception he has received in North India. Talking about his films getting love in the North, Nagarjuna said, 'Right from my first film Shiva or Khuda Gawaa to my dubbed films, all have been accepted so well in the North. I am filled with deep gratitude. This film came to me at a time when I was wondering what to do next. I didn't want to keep doing same roles over and over again. I wanted to work with Shekhar Kammula, so I said yes.' He went on to praise Jim Sarbh, saying, 'I got to work with the great Jim Sarbh. He is outstanding as the villain. This man is impossible. He put me on my toes and was saying Telugu dialogues even better than me.' Talking about Rashmika Mandanna, Nagarjuna said she has beaten all of them when it comes to box office collections. 'This girl Rashmika is one powerhouse of talent. She has made a filmography in the last 3 years, which is outstanding. None of us have 2000-3000 crore collections, she is the one. She has beaten all of us,' he added. A post shared by SCREEN (@ieentertainment) Reacting to Nagarjuna's praise and the audience calling her the number one South actress, Rashmika said, 'I am happy where I am today. It's all because of the audience's love. Honestly, I have just started. I don't know what this whole number one situation is, because I am doing films both in Bollywood and South. I don't know what this race is about.' Kuberaa will release in multiple languages on June 20. Nawaz Kochra is an enthusiastic entertainment journalistic for the last 9 years, he has been a known face and successfully worked with some big publications. At Nawaz majorly covers TV and OTT and also does video interviews. Having the best conversations with celebrities is what Nawaz loves. ... Read More
NDTV
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Jim Sarbh Reacts To The Buzz Of Playing The Younger Version Of The Late Mr Ratan Tata In A Biopic
New Delhi: The buzz around Jim Sarbh being a part of Ratan Tata's biopic has been making the rounds for a while. Zee Studios had made an official announcement, followed by Ratan Tata's passing away, to honour his legacy. While the exact date is not known, several reports ranging from October 2024 to May 2025 wrote about the possibility. Ratan Tata passed away on October 9, 2024. Soon rumours about Jim Sarbh being the perfect fit to play young Ratan Tata surfaced online. The similarities in their looks made fans want to see it happen. The plot of the documentary-style biopic is said to revolve around Tata's incredible leadership for the Tata Group and his commendable philanthropic activities. Now recently in a conversation with Bollywood Bubble, Jim Sarbh reacted to the ongoing rumours and how he too has seen his pictures being compared to the late Ratan Tata. Jim said, "That would be great. Yeah, I saw pictures of him when he was young, there is a vague similarity. Yeah, I'd love to play it. It would be a great role." No official confirmation has come from the production team on work getting started on the project, nor has there been any talks regarding the cast. While one section of people said that Jim Sarbh qualified to be a perfect pick to play the young Ratan Tata, another section believed Boman Irani or Naseeruddin Shah could be cast as Senior Tata. On the work front, Jim Sarbh's film Pune Highway was screened at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa in November 2024. The film also has Amit Sadh in a key role. The trailer of the film was released on May 2, 2025, and hit the screens on May 16.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Jim Sarbh talks about his camaraderie with Amit Sadh! Says they were the parents of their group
Jim Sarbh and Amit Sadh Jim Sarbh teamed up with Amit Sadh for Rahul DaCunha and Bugs Bhargava's Pune Highway . Little did Jim know that the two would get along really well not just as co-stars but also a buddies. He tells us, 'I enjoyed working with Amit. I enjoyed working with the whole cast but Amit and I probably had the most scenes together. We are more the parents of the group. The characters do move between those two phases like really having fun with each other and also having to deal with a more serious thing that they have ever dealt with before. So, there's the bundle of energy part of it but there is also the more complicated serious bits.' In an earlier chat with us Jim spoke about the experience of working with the director duo, saying, 'They had a very clear vision, which made things easy on set. I never felt confused about who to turn to—they were in sync, and both understood the material deeply. I've seen them direct theatre for years, and to me, they're pretty conventional. In terms of process and clarity, they were spot on. There was a very loving, open environment that flowed from them to the entire crew. That kind of supportive energy is rare—and it really brought the best out of all of us.' About the show, he had said, 'At its core, Pune Highway is about friendship . It's about growing up together—imagine kids who live in the same building, become best friends, and continue to share life's journey into adulthood. There's laughter, there's deep connection—dosti aur hasi—but then, suddenly, there's khoon—a murder, distant yet deeply personal, that shakes the very foundation of this group. I play Vishnu, who's a lawyer who ends up defending some of his own friends after suspicion falls on them. So, in essence, it's a buddy murder mystery , with bonds of loyalty and truth colliding.' Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
