Religious-themed and Indian mythological stories always hold a special place in the audience’s hearts. Irrespective of the language, people love the compelling storyline, star-studded performances, background score, and cinematography. If we reminisce about a few films such as the Baahubali franchise (2015 and 2017), Adipurush (2023), and Kantara (2022), we observe not only the growth of cinematic technology but also the way these films are focused on collective memory and cultural identity. Adding to this genre, the director Mukesh Kumar Singh has crafted a story that sheds light on the immense devotee of lord Shiva, the Kannappa.
However, there are many versions of this movie. In 1938, the first movie, Kannappa Nayanar, starring V. N. Sundaram, was released in Tamil, and later in 1954, the second movie, Bedara Kannappa, starring Dr. Rajkumar, was released in Kannada and also in Telugu under the title Kalahasti Mahatyam. In the subsequent years, more movies starring lead actors were helmed by notable directors and were released in various languages. Now, to introduce this tale to a new generation, Mukesh Kumar Singh has directed a contemporary adaptation that retains the original’s essence while embracing current storytelling techniques.
Who Is Kannappa?
Kannappa, a hunter, is a devotee of Lord Shiva. Born in Andhra Pradesh, as Thinna in a Chenchu tribe, his unconditional offerings to Shiva include food, water, and even meat. Lord Shiva accepts Kannappa’s offering because of his pure love, sincerity and devotion towards him. However, one day, Kannappa notices the Shiva’s idol crying from its one eye. Kannappa immediately removes one of his eyes and places it on the idol. Thereafter, the idol bleeds from another eye, resulting in Kannappa removing his other eye to stop the bleeding from Shiva’s eyes. Impressed by his devotion, Lord Shiva reveals his divine presence to Kannappa and grants him a wish while restoring his lost eyes.
Films
Movie makers drew inspiration from this story and added their own cinematic flair to the movies, while retaining the original core plot. These movies, released in different languages, have created a trademark and left footprints for the budding directors to follow.
New Film 2025
After the release of Kannapa’s trailer, people were awe-inspired by the breathtaking locations, characteristic performances, and nail-biting stunt sequences. Though from the trailer, one may notice the original plot, the additional elements–Vishnu Manchu as Kannappa, Akshay Kumar as Shiva, Kajal Agarwal as Parvathi- enhance the quality of craftsmanship. Meanwhile, Prabhas’s cameo appearance ignites a flame of curiosity. Moreover, Akshay Kumar entered Tollywood with his debut performance as Shiva in this movie, thereby setting high expectations. Although he had previously acted in a South Indian Kannada language film—Vishnu Vijaya (1993), opposite Dr. Vishnuvardhan, which was simultaneously made in Hindi as Ashaant.
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Kannapa, an upcoming film, is all ready to hit the screen on June 27, 2025. Under the banner of AVA Entertainment and producer Mohan Babu, this film will break all the records upon its release. This multistarrer film will set a new benchmark for mythological cinema with its grand visuals, compelling performances, and faithful adaptation of ancient tales.
Written By: Tejaswini Prasad