Kannappa Review: Manchu Vishnu Scores a Hit with Devotion and Drama

With a massive star cast including Prabhas, Mohanlal, Akshay Kumar, Sarath Kumar, and Mohan Babu, the hype around the Kannappa movie has reached another level. On the other hand, this is also Manchu Vishnu’s first pan-India film. While the presence of top stars in Kannappa is one major aspect, the intense trolling of the Manchu Mohan Babu family on social media is another. The primary reason for this trolling, one must say, is their own comments. Putting that aside for a moment — Kannappa, made with a massive budget, hit screens worldwide on Friday. The story of the film revolves around five tribal villages and a sacred Vayu Lingam. A gang tries to steal the powerful Vayu Lingam. Each of the five villages has its own king. They realize that unless they unite, it’s impossible to stop those attempting to take the Vayu Lingam. So, they entrust this responsibility to Manchu Vishnu (as Tinnadi). From childhood, Tinnadi has had no faith in God. He even calls Lord Shiva a stone and constantly argues with people who worship gods. In Tinnadi’s village, there's a tradition of human sacrifice to appease the Goddess. When his friend is chosen for sacrifice, Tinnadi stops it. As a result, his father (Sarath Kumar) banishes him from the village.

The core of Kannappa is about how this man — who never believed in God from the beginning — eventually becomes a devotee of Shiva and even offers his two eyes to the deity. That transformation is what the film is all about. It must be said that Mohanlal and Prabhas had a significant impact on the film. Though Mohanlal appears only for a short time, the background score during his entry is electrifying. The fight scene between Mohanlal and Manchu Vishnu is also impressive. The same goes for Prabhas — the dialogues exchanged between Prabhas and Manchu Vishnu leave a strong impact. One could say that Prabhas stands out as an added attraction in Kannappa. Akshay Kumar and Kajal Aggarwal, who appear as Lord Shiva and Parvati, are also impressive. The dialogues between Mohan Babu and Manchu Vishnu near the Vayu Lingam are on another level.

Manchu Vishnu displayed strong variations in his character — starting as someone who doesn’t believe in God, and eventually reaching a point where he gouges out his eyes in devotion to Shiva. He did full justice to his role. The heroine Preity Mukundhan is also captivating. The romantic scenes in the songs add a slight extra dose of flavor. If you watch Kannappa without any preconceived notions, you’ll find it likable. The locations in the movie also give off a feel-good vibe. On the whole, it can be said that this movie gave Manchu Vishnu a much-needed hit. Though the first half is a bit slow, overall the film succeeds in engaging the audience. Director Mukesh Kumar Singh has succeeded in keeping Kannappa on track and delivering effectively.