Kannappa, starring Vishnu Manchu and produced by his father, Tollywood legend Mohan Babu, sees a stellar ensemble cast which includes (among others) Mohan Babu, B-Town’s Akshay Kumar, Mollywood star Mohanlal, Prabhas, Sarathkumar, Kajal Aggarwal, Preity Mukundhan and Brahmanandam. The movie, directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh, is all set for a grand pan-India launch on April 25 and will be released in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, and English. (Also read: Kannappa: Mohanlal turns into the mighty Kirata in first-look poster for Vishnu Manchu-starrer)

From Hyderabad to New Zealand
In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, Vishnu Manchu spoke about this big-budget flick and revealed that they shot for 90 days straight in New Zealand with eight containers of set material shipped from Hyderabad. Shooting with 800 people in a foreign country is no mean task. He chose New Zealand to shoot this film because he believes it’s the only remaining place on earth that remains untouched by man and as God created it.
Ask him if they managed to complete the shoot on time in New Zealand and within the budget allocated; Vishnu candidly reveals, “We did manage to shoot everything on time. And if I had to go back, I'd probably save another 10-15% of everybody's time, money, and energy. This is probably an expensive learning curve for me, but thanks to everyone's cooperation, from the carpenters to the set department, set helpers, etc., we did it. About 600 crew members were there, and 197 people from Thailand were working on set. I'm really thankful to everyone for coming and spending close to five months there and giving their time and energy to the film. At one point, we also used about 200 local Maori people and crew. Maori culture and our culture are very similar; some are like family to me now.”
Where LOTR meets Indian mythology
The movie’s story revolves around Lord Shiva’s ardent devotee, Kannappa Nayannar, whose story is closely connected to the Srikalahasteeswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh. According to mythology, Kannappa was such a staunch bhakt that he donated both his eyes to Lord Shiva. Why did this story fascinate Vishnu? “I’ve seen the Telugu version of the 1976 film Bhakta Kannappa many times and in 2015, when director Tanikella Bharani told me the story he had, I was keen. We worked on the script for several months, after which he said he wasn’t the right guy to direct this film as my vision was to produce it on a large, lavish scale. He was more comfortable making smaller films. So, I bought the rights to the film and decided to produce it. I loved Lord of The Rings (LOTR), and I was wondering if I could incorporate the story I grew up with and the LOTR outlook.”
Going pan-Indian
Kannappa has a grand ensemble cast, and the Telugu actor is quick to point out that many of them worked on this film because of the immense respect they have for his father, the Telugu acting legend Mohan Babu. “Everybody who acted in this movie did it out of respect and love for my father. I wish I could take the credit, but I’d be lying if I did! I’m grateful for their love and affection, and I hope that I can nurture such relationships as I grow older,” he smiles. Will he be able to act in 600 films like his father? “I’ll never be able to match that! The times are different now,” Vishnu replies.
“I’ve been trying to work with Sarathkumar uncle, who has seen me grow up, for many years, but it’s finally happened now. He was a great help in many aspects of the film. Prabhu Deva anna has choreographed three songs and worked on the climax also. I pestered Akshay Kumar to the moon, and he finally agreed. He’s very nice, professional and a very well-versed actor. I’m a huge fan of his comic timing,” says Vishnu. “Prabhas is a dear friend and he needn’t do Kannappa at this stage of his career. But he readily agreed to be part of it. I’m grateful to him for doing this and indebted to him. What I love about him is his humility.”
Three generations in Kannappa
Interestingly, while Vishnu’s father, Mohan Babu, plays Mahadeva Shastri, all his four children are also part of Kannappa, making Kannappa a film that sees three generations in a single movie. His son, Avram Baktha Manchu, plays young Thinnadu, and his twin daughters will be seen in a song while the third daughter has a small scene. “Right from the time they were born, they’ve been visiting sets, so it’s common for them. But I needed to ensure they were comfortable and got their shots right. I was trying to make sure that the girls were dancing properly, and I was very scared about Avram as they had a combination of scenes with Sharath's uncle and everybody. The kid had to perform, and he nailed it in one take in each of the scenes he did,” says the father proudly.
Vishnu admits he has butterflies in his tummy and is nervous as the release date approaches. Still, he says he’s pretty confident that if he is bang on with the storytelling, then Kannappa will resonate with everyone. “It boils down to how the story is being told, and I’m pretty sure that my director nailed it. Everybody – every artist and every technician - has worked hard in this movie, and they will be recognized for their hard work,” signs off Vishnu Manchu.