Kuberaa movie review: Dhanush, Nagarjuna shine bright in Sekhar Kammula’s mindful ‘massy’ film

Kuberaa Movie Review, Rating and Release: From the very outset, Kuberaa was going to be defined by the choices made by writer-director Sekhar Kammula. The decision to tell a story starkly different from his trademark intimate and subdued style, for starters, caught everyone’s attention ahead of the release. The move to lend that story a considerably larger canvas than before became another defining facet of the film, as did the promotional tour he embarked on to discuss it. Amidst all this, the spotlight was always going to be on Kammula’s storytelling approach — and how he would “adjust” his perspective for an endeavour of this scale.

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Yet, with Kuberaa now in theatres, the film doesn't feel entirely removed from what the filmmaker has done before. Although it tackles the sophisticated subject of corporate power-play and its apathetic worldview, the intricate manner in which the narrative unfolds remains resonant with Kammula’s past work. It carries his refreshing treatment of everyday people, their true-to-life essence, his simplicity — and also the signature quality of treating audiences with dignity and not doubting their intelligence. Take, for instance, how Dhanush's homeless character, Deva, is etched. Without diving into too much detail, the film traces how a destitute man is drawn into the world of the ultra-rich before he rises to the occasion and begins to control the game. This trope is familiar territory in cinema, and while Kammula uses it to his advantage, he refrains from going overboard with Deva’s heroism. Deva (thanks to Dhanush’s measured performance) is meek, functionally illiterate, and ill-equipped in every conceivable way — but the film doesn't force him to act implausibly against his nature during pivotal moments.