If one Telugu film is constantly trending due to controversy and star cast news, it’s the most-awaited Manchu Vishnu’s venture, “Kannappa”. Indeed, their family issues and some of his previously tweeted comments caused fan wars and excessive negativity within the audience. After its release, everyone is praising it as a rare visual spectacle. Let’s see if it’s a yay or nay.
The Plot
Based on a true ancient ethical story of Southern India. Kannappa is the life story of tribal warrior Thinnadu, aka Manchi Vishnu. He is a strong atheist & scorns his tribe for their overbelief in Lord Shiva, whom he believes is no God, more than an idol. However, his trust and disbelief crumble when he witnesses a miracle sacred Siva Lingam midst of the forest. In the background, he gets ousted because of an inter-tribal war and meets Nemali, his potential love interest.
Amidst this chaos, he experiences a true devotion, and tension builds to a cinematic climax. He self-sacrifices his life to Lord Shiva and becomes Kannappa the Legend.
Cast and Characters
After Prabhas Kalki, this is another devotional setting film with huge names from Indian Cinema. Have we expected to see Akshay Kumar and Prabhas in a Single screen? Well, the director should be appreciated for choosing a good cast value despite the spread of rumours. Manchu Vishnu has lived in his character, Kannappa. His transformation from aggression to an emotional and spiritual awakening devotee is great.
Next, the most important character and fans’ only hope, Prabhas as Rudra’s cameo, is one of the most praised presences. He uplifted the screenplay from a boring first half. Supporting actors are Mohanlal, Sharath Kumar, Dr.Mohan Babu, Akshay Kumar, Kajal Agarwal, and Priety Mukundan. Everyone’s framing in tight cameo performances added colour to the patchy writing. Kannappa surely outdid expectations.
Epic Tale with Weak Screenplay
Do you know Prabhas agreed to his role in the first setting, for no paycheck? Prabhas is close friends with Vishnu, & he immediately agreed to this magnificent project. Also, this is a dream project for the hero, Manchu Vishnu; He claimed it as Lord Shiva’s permission to enact the spiritual role. As in, his family members, daughters, and father, Dr. Mohan Babu, contributed largely to the devotional imagery.
However, it’s equally lacking in many parts. The film is too long a run for a short tale to sustain. Kannappa director, Mukesh Kumar Singh, needed more compelling storytelling, with such a star-studded cast, because some scenes feel dispatched & wary. Kannappa needed a stronger Godly presence, maybe senior actors like Chiranjeevi would’ve done.
Critics and Reviews
The Indian Express gave an average rating, describing it as tedious, long, and boring. But claimed that Prabhas and Mohan Lal cameos are best breaking points for the flow. While others like “The Week” and “ABP Live” praised the film’s spiritual corner, joined by a soul-stirring climax. Further, Hindustan claims Prabhas is the sole reason Kannappa has good openings, which is quite true given his global fandom.
Lavish Visuals and Music
The entire filming took place in New Zealand’s polar regions, and it adds scenic beauty to the tribal ethnicity and emotion. Likewise, VFX did justice to the cultural resonance; They didn’t add any extra gravitas. So, faith and a Hindu-oriented audience will connect. As for the music, songs in the first half, like “Sri Kalahasti Gadha,” felt like filler to the first half. As for sound effects, viewers reported dubbing issues, especially with Akshay Kumar and Mohan Lal scenes. These mistakes might cost them a bigger impact later.
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Box Office
Kannappa made a good box office opening with the Telugu audience, it collected Rs 9 cr, thanks to grand cameos. For now the weekend has finished, but the film failed to cross HanuMan’s weekend collections. Till day 3, Kannappa managed to earn 23 crores gross with little decline in bookings. However, note that this is Manchi Vishnu’s lead actor’s, career-best collection with current occupancy stated to be 24.1%, it might be difficult for it to cross another weekend.
Conclusion
It’s not only Prabahs but Manchu Vishnu, Akshay Kumar, Mohan Lal, everybody lived up to their fame. Despite a slow-paced first half, Kannappa picks up momentum, continues to shine, leading to an excellent climax and a real ending based on mythology. It’s surely a must-watch for the spiritual audience and anyone looking for a getaway as well.
IMDb: 4.2/10 Times of India: 3/5 Newsslash Ratings: 3.8/5
Written By: Meghana Pinninti