Kingdom (2025) Movie: Vijay Deverakonda’s Brother Drama Falls Short of Greatness
After nearly two years of development, Vijay Deverakonda’s Kingdom finally hits screens with director Gowtam Tinnanuri taking a bold step into action territory. The Telugu drama also stars Satya Dev and Bhagyashri Borse in key roles.
Set in 1990s Sri Lanka, the film brings together technical talents like Anirudh Ravichander for music and Girish Gangadharan with Jomon T. John for cinematography. The production certainly looks polished on paper.
The Brother Hunt Begins
Soori (Vijay Deverakonda) works as a police constable desperately searching for his missing brother Shiva (Satya Dev). When he discovers Shiva’s involvement in Sri Lankan smuggling operations, Soori takes on an undercover mission.
The setup creates interesting possibilities for family drama mixed with crime thriller elements. Unfortunately, the story never quite reaches the emotional heights it promises from this strong foundation.
Vijay’s Mature Turn
This might be Vijay Deverakonda’s most restrained performance yet. He avoids his usual high-energy approach, instead delivering something more grounded and sincere. The actor handles Soori’s internal conflict between duty and brotherhood with genuine subtlety.
I was impressed by how naturally he carried the weight of the character. This measured approach proves Vijay can handle serious dramatic roles when given proper material to work with.
Mixed Results from Supporting Cast
Satya Dev brings intensity to Shiva’s role, sharing some powerful moments with Deverakonda. Their scenes together hint at deeper emotional connections, but the writing doesn’t give either actor enough room to fully explore that potential.
Bhagyashri Borse gets sidelined despite her non-glamorous role setup. Venkitesh does solid work as Murugan, though his character feels more like a placeholder than a fully realized person.
Strong Visuals, Weak Structure
The film looks fantastic thanks to dual cinematography work. Every frame feels carefully composed, especially during the action sequences. The Sri Lankan locations provide authentic texture that enhances the overall viewing experience.
Anirudh’s background score serves its purpose without being particularly memorable. Editor Naveen Nooli struggles with pacing issues, particularly in the second half where the film noticeably drags.
Action Highlights and Missed Chances
Kingdom delivers some genuinely exciting action moments. The bridge fight sequence before interval and the climax both showcase strong choreography and visual flair. These scenes demonstrate what the film could have achieved consistently.
However, Gowtam Tinnanuri’s direction feels unfocused. The emotional core between the brothers never gets proper development, leaving key dramatic moments feeling hollow rather than impactful.
Critics and Audiences React
Most reviews fall in the mixed-to-average range. 123telugu.com gave it 3/5 stars, while IMDb users rated it 5.9/10. Critics appreciated the technical aspects but pointed out storytelling weaknesses.
The general consensus seems to be that Kingdom works as basic entertainment but fails to capitalize on its promising premise. I found myself agreeing with this assessment after watching.
Bottom Line Verdict
Kingdom represents a missed opportunity more than an outright failure. Vijay Deverakonda proves he can handle serious dramatic material, and the technical team delivers professional work throughout.
The film works fine as a time-pass action drama, but it never becomes the compelling brother story it could have been. With stronger writing, this had potential to be something special rather than just watchable.
Rating: 3/5
