Sekhar Kammula’s Kuberaa Opens to Tepid Advance Bookings in Tamil Nadu

Kuberaa, the much-anticipated bilingual social thriller directed by Sekhar Kammula and marking his direct entry into Tamil cinema, has seen an unexpectedly lukewarm advance booking response in Tamil Nadu. Despite early curiosity around the Kammula-Dhanush collaboration, the film’s pre-release traction—particularly in key urban centres—has not lived up to expectations.

Coming on the heels of Raayan, where Dhanush also donned the director’s hat, Kuberaa has posted one of the weakest advance booking figures for a Dhanush-starrer in over a decade. This is especially surprising given the film’s mainstream packaging and socially relevant themes—both of which typically resonate well with Dhanush’s core audience.

Even more unconventional projects like Captain Miller registered stronger early momentum, highlighting a gap between the buzz and actual footfall for Kuberaa. The underwhelming response suggests that the pre-release campaign may not have struck the right chord with Tamil viewers.

In contrast, the film appears to be performing relatively better in the Telugu states, buoyed by Sekhar Kammula’s regional fanbase and the presence of veteran actor Nagarjuna. Still, Tamil Nadu remains the crucial market that could ultimately determine the film’s box office trajectory.

With early shows just a day away, Kuberaa now hinges heavily on word-of-mouth and critical reception to reverse its fortunes. A strong first wave of audience response could still salvage its weekend run. But for now, the film steps into theatres under a cloud of muted expectations—an unusual position for a Dhanush-led project.