Movie: Kingdom
Rating: 2.5/5
Banner: Sithara Entertainments, Fortune Four
Cast: Vijay Deverakonda, Bhagyashri Borse, Satyadev, Venkatesh VP, Navya Swamy, Bhoomi Shetty, and others
Music: Anirudh Ravichander
DOP: Jomon T. John ISC, Girish Gangadharan ISC
Editor: Naveen Nooli
Production Design: Avinash Kolla
Action: Yannick Ben, Chethan D’Souza & Real Satish
Producer: Naga Vamsi, Sai Soujanya
Written and directed by: Gowtam Tinnanuri
Release Date: July 31, 2025
Despite Vijay Deverakonda’s recent string of flops, “Kingdom” has managed to generate strong last-minute buzz, thanks to its impactful trailer and the overall positive reception to its promotional content. Adding to the hype is director Gowtam Tinnanuri’s credibility, built on the success of his critically acclaimed film Jersey.
So, does “Kingdom” live up to the promise? Let’s find out.
Story:
Police constable Soori (Vijay Deverakonda) is sent on a covert mission to an island near Sri Lanka by his superior. His task is to uncover the movements of a drug cartel that has been using a Telugu-speaking tribe — descendants of people who migrated to the island seventy years ago — for their smuggling operations.
Soori agrees to the assignment upon discovering that his long-lost brother, Shiva (Satyadev), is the tribe’s key figure and is now working for the cartel. Hoping to bring his brother back home and rescue him from the criminal world, Soori takes on the dangerous mission.
A doctor (Bhagyashri Borse), who is also an undercover police informant, lends him support on the island.
But will Soori’s mission go as planned? Can he reunite with his brother and save the tribe?
Artistes’ Performances:
Shedding his signature ‘Rowdy’ image, Vijay Deverakonda delivers a more mature and nuanced performance, marking a clear evolution in his acting style. While retaining his trademark intensity, he brings restraint and emotional depth to the role, and handles the key moments with ease.
Bhagyashri Borse looks strikingly beautiful on screen but her character lacks big moment. Nor does she have a proper romantic thread or song in the film.
Meanwhile, Satyadev makes a strong impact with his intense presence, adding emotional weight and depth to the narrative. Playing Vijay Deverakonda’s brother and a leader of a tribe, Satyadev within his character limitations does well. However, his character lacks impact in the second half.
Venkatesh VP as Murugan and the main villain provides required antagonism but he stature doesn’t fit well for the role. Bhoomi Shetty as Satyadev wife is okay.
Technical Excellence:
The two cinematographers, Jomon T. John and Girish Gangadharan, have crafted a visually captivating experience with aesthetically rich and evocative frames. Several sequences set against coastal backdrops are particularly striking and linger in the memory.
Among Anirudh Ravichander’s contributions, the emotional track is passable, but the film lacks any truly catchy songs. With just two tracks retained and the love song removed, the soundtrack feels underwhelming. However, Anirudh’s background score stands out — subtly enhancing the emotional depth and elevating the visual experience throughout the film.
That said, one wonders — was it the right call by the producers to bring in a composer of Anirudh’s stature solely for the background score, without leveraging his knack for delivering chart-topping numbers?
While Naveen Nooli’s editing is competent, the film does begin to feel stretched due to its runtime of two hours and forty-three minutes. This sense of drag stems largely from director Gowtam Tinnanuri’s signature slow-paced storytelling, especially in the second half.
Highlights:
Vijay Deverakonda's performance
Some compelling moments in the first half
Background score
Striking cinematography
Drawback:
Slow-paced narrative
Confusion in writing
Logical issues
Lack of strong emotional moments
Analysis
“Kingdom,” directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, is mounted on an ambitious canvas — both in narrative scale and visual scope. In line with the current trend of big-ticket films centered around world-building, Gowtam sets the stage with a compelling prologue: a king valiantly fighting to protect his tribe, which eventually migrates and settles on a remote island. This opening is quite intriguing and effectively sets the tone for what follows.
The story then shifts to the present, introducing Vijay Deverakonda as a police constable on an undercover mission. His arrival on the island near Sri Lanka marks the beginning of a slow-burn drama that unfolds through layers of informant intrigue and the emotional bond between two brothers — played by Vijay Deverakonda and Satyadev.
The first major sequence involving the drug cartel, military forces, and the brothers is executed with precision, offering one of the most engaging portions of the film. Despite the film’s deliberate slow pacing, the first half successfully builds the world, stakes, and emotional undercurrent.
However, once the foundation is laid, the second half should have leaned into delivering strong heroic moments for Vijay Deverakonda — similar to how Rajamouli carved out iconic scenes for Prabhas in “Chatrapathi.” The premise certainly invites such treatment. In fact, “Kingdom” draws some parallels with “Chatrapathi” — a displaced villagers, a sibling relationship (but here, the brothers aren’t at odds with each other).
However, Gowtam Tinnanuri misses a key opportunity in the second half, and cracks in the writing begin to show. While Satyadev is introduced as a pivotal leader of the tribe, his character is never given a strong defining moment.
The relationship between Vijay Deverakonda and Bhagyashri Borse also lacks emotional weight. With the romantic song “Hridayam Lopala” omitted from the film, their track feels underdeveloped. Bhagyashri’s character ends up functioning more like a narrative device than a fully realized presence.
The climax does manage to generate the needed intensity. In an apparent attempt to stretch the story into a sequel or prequel, the film withholds key moments that could have elevated the protagonist’s arc. This gamble on a second part ends up diluting the much-needed ‘big hero moment’ for Vijay Deverakonda in the present film.
While Gowtam Tinnanuri’s ambition to tell a story on a grand canvas is commendable and clearly visible, he seems to lose grip on the emotional core and stumbles with the screenplay in crucial parts.
Overall, “Kingdom” delivers some stunning moments, strong performances — especially from Vijay Deverakonda — and boasts top-notch cinematography and impressive visuals. However, it falters at key junctures, which dampens its overall impact. What could have been a gripping action spectacle ends up as a decent but uneven experience, largely due to inconsistent writing.
Bottom-line: Full Style-Little Substance
