Kuberaa: Why Nagarjuna's character arc trumps Dhanush's in Sekhar Kammula's Telugu superhit
Kuberaa: Though we are not getting into the debate of who is the main character in the Telugu movie, Nagarjuna does have a point when it comes to the character arc of Deepak, which is better than Deva
Last Updated: 10.36 AM, Jun 24, 2025
Telugu star Nagarjuna drew the ire of Dhanush fans when he stated that his character, named Deepak, in Sekhar Kammula-directed Kuberaa is the main character in the movie. This obviously did not sit well with the legion of Dhanush fans, who vehemently opposed his statements. Though we are not getting into the debate of who is the main character in the Telugu movie, which has emerged as a super hit, Nagarjuna does have a point when it comes to the character arc of Deepak, which is better than that of Deva (played by Dhanush) in the film. Let’s take a look at why it is so, and of course, spoilers ahead!
Nagarjuna, Dhanush's characters in Kuberaa
Helmed by Sekhar Kammula, who has also co-written the film along with Chaithanya Pingali, Kuberaa stars Dhanush, Nagarjuna, Jim Sarbh and Rashmika Mandanna.
The 2025 Telugu film kicks off when Neeraj Mitra finds an oil reserve in the Bay of Bengal. To help with the money transactions for keeping the politicians and media in check, Neeraj hires Deepak, a former CBI officer who is now languishing in jail. Deepak, who even received an award from former President APJ Abdul Kalam, turns him down initially but is forced to give his nod to reunite with his family. But even when he comes up with the shady plan to use beggars as benamis, Deepak treats them with respect, winning the affection of Deva (played by Dhanush).
Till now, we see Deepak as the messiah of the downtrodden even when he has switched allegiance to the evil forces. But slowly, we keep seeing him lowering his moral standards as he looks away when two of the beggars are led to their deaths.
But as Deva escapes and his family’s fate hangs in the balance, Deepak too resorts to the unthinkable as he puts a gun to Sameera’s head (Rashmika Mandanna) and even shoots a cop point blank when he realises that he has been cornered. Deva too loses trust in Deepak but finally the former officer wakes up to the horrors he has committed, and fights, dying for the pregnant Khusboo, whom he had protected, towards the film’s climax.
From a morally upright officer to a partner in crime to actually getting blood on his hands and finally correcting his mistakes, Deepak’s arc is complete in Sekhar Kammula’s film.
On the other hand, Dhanush who plays the beggar named Deva goes on from being the naive guy who finally fights for himself and those oppressed like him. The character arc is straightforward here, and not unexpected or surprising for the star-led film. The same can be said for Jim Sarbh’s Neeraj Mitra, who remains the vile villain from start to end. It is only through Deepak’s character, who moves from being an honest man to a fallen angel and finally paying the price for his wrongdoings with his life, does the film explore how the system forces a man to bend his ways.
As far as character arcs are concerned, Nagarjuna’s Deepak does stand a couple of steps ahead of Dhanush’s Deva who stays true to his feelings from start to finish. Though this makes for the perfect hero, Deepak checks the box of the ideal character arc.