Nagarjuna, Dhanush, and Rashmika Mandanna are gearing up for the release of their upcoming film Kuberaa, directed by Sekhar Kammula. The trio was in Mumbai on Tuesday to launch their song Pippi Pippi Dum Dum. At the event, Nagarjuna graciously praised Rashmika for both her talent and her box office appeal.
Nagarjuna calls Rashmika powerhouse of talent
Kuberaa marks the reunion of Nagarjuna and Rashmika. Complimenting her, Nagarjuna said, “This girl, you know, is a powerhouse of talent. I mean, if you see her filmography over the last three years—just outstanding. None of us are Rs 2000–3000 crore actors, guys. She’s the one. She’s the one who beat all of us.”
He continued, “Rashmika, it was such a pleasure. I’ve worked with you before, but this time, after I saw the dubbing, after I watched the film, I just had to call you. I called you straight from the dubbing theatre. She’s brilliant in the film. She`s going to make all of you laugh—laugh so much. She`s just so brilliant. She`s spontaneous. There`s something so nice about her—about Rashmika.”
Nagarjuna on why Kuberaa is special
One of the highlights of the event was superstar Nagarjuna Akkineni’s heartfelt revelation about why Kuberaa holds a special place in his career. Opening up on stage, Nagarjuna shared that the film came to him at a time when he was actively seeking something fresh and meaningful.
“This film is very, very special to me. It came to me at a point in time when I was wondering what to do next. Like you asked—what should I do next? I can`t keep doing the same roles over and over again.”
He went on to share that his long-standing desire to collaborate with director Sekhar Kammula finally came true with Kuberaa—and it didn’t take much convincing.
“Sekhar Kammula, whom I’ve wanted to work with for the last 15 years, came to me and said, ‘Would you like to do this role?’ I didn’t even ask much about what he was going to offer me—I just said yes.”
Nagarjuna also praised Kammula’s unique storytelling and the emotional honesty in his work. “I’ve seen Sekhar’s earlier films. He’s a brilliant filmmaker—so real, and his sensibilities are so true. Like Dhanush said, his heart is so pure, and that comes across on screen, in his scripts.”
Calling Kuberaa the right film at the right time, Nagarjuna concluded, “It all felt so right.”
About Kuberaa
Produced by Suniel Narang and Puskur Ram Mohan Rao under the banners of Sri Venkateswara Cinemas LLP and Amigos Creations Pvt. Ltd., Kuberaa is co-produced by Vipul Agarwal and Manish Vasisth. Mugafi presents the film in North India and also leads its distribution across the northern region.
Directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Sekhar Kammula, Kuberaa stars Nagarjuna Akkineni, Dhanush, and Rashmika Mandanna. With music composed by Devi Sri Prasad (DSP), the film is being presented in five languages—Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam—broadening its pan-India appeal.
Kuberaa is set to release worldwide on June 20, 2025.