Review of Telugu movie `Kuberaa’

Gifted Tamil actor Dhanush straight Telugu movie `Kuberaa’ with veteran Telugu actor Nagarjuna and reliable Rashmika released PAN India in five languages, has garnered lot of expectation pre release and to a great extent lived upto that hype.  

Being highly educated (a Master of Science and Master of Fine Arts holder from Rutgers University and Howard University respectively), Talented Telugu writer, producer director Shekar Kammula handles his subjects intelligently and  is known to make impactful and meaning movies mostly with newcomers at shoestring budgets but hits the bull’s eye every time commercially as well as at awards circuits.   In 25 years,  he has won national award once and state Nandi award six times.  

With `Kuberaa’ for the first time he has gone for top stars of Telugu and Tamil industry and jumped into PAN India bandwagon.   But unlike others who fall back upon safe bet of making a masala commercial movie with lot of action and technology, Shekar chose a bold subject on `Beggers’ (probably only the second India movie after Tamil movie ` Pichaikkaran /`Bichagadu  (Telugu version)’ by Tamil actor director Anthony to deal with such subject) and handled it sensibly .  Right through the movie runs on two parallel tracks of a tycoon greed and ambition of channalising over a one lakh crores using Beggers as Benamis and the life and plight of Beggers.  

               

Any top star will be scared by the very thought of doing the role of a crippled Begger, but Dhanush, who doesn’t shun away from experimenting with his roles, took up the challenge and what a brilliant act he did.   Unlike many top stars who apply layers of makeup and fancy costumes which does not go with the character they play, the director and actor Dhanush developed the character looks wise and mannerism wise so natural and close to a real destitute and crippled Begger.   The way he consistently used and kept the crippled hand is remarkable and his empathy about fellow Beggers specially the mortal remains of the dead beggers and his pain and anguish to give them a honourble funeral is very touching.    Owning such a challenging role of a Begger is not an easy task and stock of Dhanush as one of the most gifted actors of Tamil/Indian cinema will go up by few notches after this movie  

After a long gap, Telugu actor Nagarjuna signed up a matured role of a CBI officer hard done by the system and corrupt politicians resulting his landing up in jail.   To get out of jail he takes favour of a tycoon, in return to use his brain in channelising a lakh crore of rupees to the Swiss accounts of corrupt politicians through benami accounts of the Beggars.    He is savvy as a smart CBI officer turned crook and also exhibited emotions very well of being helpless when he comes to know that after transfer of money the tycoon is killing the Beggers engaged and falls apart from them at the end.  He exhibited through his eyes and restrained emotions how he is torn between saving himself and his family and save the Beggers from being killed.    After doing 3 back to back insignificant Hindi movies with top stars, Rashmika got a significant and meaty role and has come back to her elements.   Though the episodes between her and Dhanush lagged a bit, but in many scenes, she stood her ground opposite towering performance by Dhanush.   Jim Sarbh was excellent as a crooked tycoon, and I am pleasantly surprised that he dubbed in Telugu himself and he sounded so good.   Dhanush also dubbed in Telugu for the first time, and it lent authenticity to the role he essayed.  Good to see Dilip Tahil after decades. 

As always director Shekar is in complete control and to a large extent able to hold the attention though every one in the audience felt that at 3 hours 30 minutes its too lengthy and would have been better served if the movie is trimmed by minimum 30 minutes.    With this movie Shekar has proved that not only he can handle top stars, but make them leave behind their stardom and get into the skin of the character as Dhanush and Nagarjuna did.    Though he normally keeps the Telugu nativity in all his movies, in this movie, there were traces of Tamil culture and nativity specially in few dance numbers.   This could be to please the huge Tamil fan base Dhanush commands.  

Music Director DSP (Devi Sri Prasad) has bounced back with a bang with this movie.   What a brilliant Back Ground score he has given, which is most appropriate and lightened up proceeding even when they are lagging and falling down.    Couple of songs specially the song while taking the mortal remains of the Begger in a procession is brilliant.  

Overall a bold and challenging movie and quite engaging.   Worth a watch even if it tests your patience a bit sitting through three and half hours

 

S. Prabhakar

24.6.2025

 

`Thug Life’ – few flashes of brilliance – rest damp squib

In 1987, Kamal and director Mani Ratnam came together and created history with Tamil movie Nayakan, which is a test book on how a classic movie has to be made.    Everything about that movie was brilliant, story, screenplay, fantastic direction by Mani Ratnam and brilliant acting by Kamal Hassan, the lighting cinematography, art direction and as always excellent music by Illayyaraja.    It deservedly won national award for Kamal Haasan as Best Actor and 3 more national awards, and earnt a permanent place in list of Indian classics.   In the last 38 years both Kamal and Mani have grown in their stature and went on to become the most respected actor and director respectively not only in Tamil industry but in India and world cinema.  Many of their movies, Sagara Sangamama, Swati Mutyam, Appu Raja, Chachi 420, Sadma, Bharateeyudu, Dasavataram for Kamal, Anjali, Roja, Bombay,   Geetanjali, Thalapati, Iruvar, Guru and Ponniyin Selvan for Mani Ratnam have not only became big time hits at box office but earned them state, national and Filmfare awards in dozens.   Fans waited so long for them to collaborate and recreate the magic of Nayakan and atlast they came together with ‘Thug Life’ and as can be expected it has generated  very high expectations from their huge fan base, both having mastered their respective crafts in all these years.     But it is utterly disappointing that it turned out to be anything but what you expect from these two geniuses and after watching the movie one feels it would have been better had they not collaborated again and the fans would have lived with the feeling had they came together they would have created the same magic as `Nayakan’

What went wrong with `Thug Life’

Almost every thing.    To begin with it has a very weak and wafer-thin story line.   The screenplay is equally bad.    Firstly the so called Thug character is not at all well developed to an extent of he  instilling fear among other Thugs and forcing them to fear about him and follow him.   The concept of internal bickering among the gang members and plotting the downfall of the gang leader is as old as the film industry itself.    The reason for the betrayal and plotting to kill him by not one or two but four close confidants is not well narrated to justify their act of forgetting son like brother like relations.   As if it is not enough, the way Kamal comes back to avenge and the way he avenges is handled lousily by the director.    I started wondering is the movie directed by the same Mani Ratnam who handled talented actors like Kamal in Nayakan Mamooty and Rajni in Thalapathy and Prakash Raj and Mohan Lal in Iruvur in such sensitive manner and created gripping and memorable scenes.

Coming to acting Kamal has shown flashes of his genius in few scenes and his big and popping eyes have been effectively used.  Silambarasan did an excellent job and not overawed by the colossal presence of Kamal.   Trisha and Abhirami were good in their brief roles.  AR Rehman, a regular feature with Mani Rathnam from Roja days,  has redeemed himself after a long time with brilliant back ground music and couple of hummable songs.   Action scenes are bit of saving grace in this dull movie, full marks to the Stunt directors for using Kamal doubles very cleverly making us believe as if Kamal has done them, and credit to Kamal that he showed the required energy and intensity in the part of action scenes which he might have done to make it look like real, and at his age of 70 years its incredible.    The shoot out scenes in busy streets of Delhi, the climax action scenes are very well picturized and stand out.

Overall it’s a forgettable movie and a movie with which you would not like to associate the names of two greats of Tamil industry Kamal and Mani.    After watching Bharateeyudu2, I said that its high time director Shankar should retire and stop directing movies (which he justified with another dud `Game Changer’) and now I have to say the same to Mani Ratnam, he should stop directing any more movies like Thug Life, if he has nothing better to offer, since we would love to remember him for his Nayakan, Thalapathy, Iruvur, Roja and Bombay.    As far as Kamal is concerned, he still has fire in his belly, and continue to entertain, if he chooses better subjects, his hunger to experiment and do his best has not yet died.  

Strongly recommended to avoid Thug Life to retain the credible image of Kamal and Mani Ratnam which you might have.

S. Prabhakar

5.6.2025