There is no shortage of films about the corruption of obscene wealth and how the system functions to make the rich even richer at the expense of the poor. We’ve seen this play out in films from Hollywood and around the world to varying effect.

The new Telugu film Kuberaa tackles this subject with rich characters, vibrant visuals, and an absolutely stellar soundtrack.

Neeraj Mitra (Jim Sarbh) is an incredibly wealthy businessman cooking up a scheme to control a newly-discovered oil reserve worth billions. In order to do this, he’ll need the help of a former CBI officer named Deepak (Nagarjuna), who is in jail for resisting corruption. 

Neeraj makes Deepak an offer he can’t refuse: he’ll be released from jail if he can find a few “clean” sources to launder money through, so Deepak rounds up a handful of illiterate beggars and begins to create identities for them. He trains them on how to look and act like business professionals, at least for long enough to seal the deal before they’ll be discarded, none the wiser about any part of the scam.

One of the beggars, Deva (Dhanush), starts to realize that something is very wrong and ends up setting off a series of escalating events that force Deepak to reexamine his morality and put Neeraj’s entire empire in jeopardy.

One of the most compelling stories I’ve seen so far this year, Kuberaa, is fueled by phenomenal performances from Nagarjuna and Dhanush. These challenging roles are filled with layers and nuance, and both actors deliver flawlessly. 

Dhanush, in particular, is the soul of the movie, completely embracing the physicality of the character and making us immediately love Deva. The consistency in how he plays Deva’s injured hand, the emotion he conjures with a little smile, the innocence in his eyes—all incredibly thoughtful choices that truly enhance the film. 

Nagarjuna gives a wonderful, understated, and subtle performance, carrying the weight of Deepak’s moral dilemma through expressions and body language. He’s a character who tries to keep his feelings hidden, which can be difficult for an actor, but he really pulls it off here.

Sarbh makes Neeraj a perfect, ruthless, but cool-and-collected villain. He’s not cartoonishly evil, he just has so little regard for anyone he considers to be beneath him that he doesn’t even view them as people. This is played flawlessly, and we as an audience simply cannot wait for Neeraj to get his comeuppance. 

Rashmika Mandanna brings a little levity to the heaviness in her smaller role. Her character, Sameera, becomes unwillingly tied to Deva after coincidental acts of kindness, and soon she learns that he’s involved in something far greater than he even knows.

Kuberaa has one of my favorite musical moments of the year with “Poyiraa Mama,” which is not only a catchy song but is used with great emotional impact here. I was reminded of that amazing oner in Sinners. The leitmotifs and the rhythmic drive of “Trance of Kuberaa” tie the characters together, and DSP’s score amps up the emotion and elevates the impact of the entire story.

Niketh Bommireddy’s cinematography highlights the contrast between the opulent world of Neeraj and the beggars on the streets of Mumbai. Unlike so many big Telugu films, this is shot in real locations, adding a layer of richness and realism to the story.

All of this is, of course, in service to an excellent narrative from writer-director Sekhar Kammula, who goes a step beyond a typical social message and lets us explore the gray areas of these characters and situations. The choice to give us little flashbacks of each of the beggars really drives home the humanity and makes us think about how societies treat their most marginalized people without feeling overly preachy or simplified. 

Kuberaa is a film that I haven’t stopped thinking about since I saw it. Every aspect of the filmmaking is so impressive and captivating that I’m looking forward to the streaming release so I can watch it again and soak in all the details.