What happened to the sweet little 2 hours or 2 and a half hours, including the songs, in the movie anymore? It’s like in the past five years movies are intentionally dragged on for three and sometimes even additional minutes. In the beginning, cinema used to even have 4 hours of runtime, but with the quality and efficiency growing, people designed these short, hour-long movies. Kuberaa, releasing this Friday, is stepping into bold territory, not just with its ambitious financial-crime drama but with its unusually long runtime of 181 minutes.
With a duration of just over three hours, the Sekhar Kammula-directed film is testing both creative limits and audience stamina.
Headlined by national award winner Dhanush, Kuberaa brings together a star-studded cast including Rashmika Mandanna and Telugu cinema king Nagarjuna Akkineni. The film is certified U/A from the censor board, indicating a story that aims to balance adults to young and children. Sekhar Kammula has always maintained the balance of principles in his movies.
More than just a star vehicle, Kuberaa is being positioned as a pan-Indian political drama that blends mass entertainment with sharp social commentary. The film also features a strong supporting cast: Jim Sarbh, Dalip Tahil, and Sayaji Shinde are expected to bring added gravitas to the already high-stakes narrative.
Despite, or perhaps because of, extended runtime of Kuberaa, the film’s advance bookings have been solid, suggesting that curiosity is high. The music, composed by hitmaker Devi Sri Prasad, has added another layer of hype, while producers Suniel Narang and Puskur Ram Mohan Rao are banking on the film’s broad appeal to drive box office returns.
Whether Kuberaa becomes a compelling political epic or risks overstaying its welcome remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: this is a film unafraid to take its time and take a stand.
