Vishnu Manchu’s much awaited project ‘Kannappa’ had its release today amidst much fanfare. Let’s get to the details of how the film is:
The story follows the history of Thinnadu (Kannappa) who is an atheist due to a childhood incident. As he grows big, Thinnadu becomes a great hunter and a fighter. He is known as the rebel of his region, who is against the idol worship.
Thinnadu falls in love with Nemali (Preity Mukundhan), who belongs to another neighbouring region.
On the side lines, Mahadeva Sastry(Mohan Babu) is the savior of the Vayu Lingam. Some folks from the other region are hell bent on stealing the Vayu Lingam. This is where Thinnadu loses his close ones and gains momentum in fighting the odds to win over the evil.
Whilst this all, Thinnadu faces situations which make him believe in Lord Shiva. How can an atheist suddenly become one of the greatest followers of Lord Shiva? This forms the crux of the story.
Based on true events at Sri Kalahasti, ‘Kannappa’ is a 195 minute film which showcases the life of Thinnadu, who is later given the name of Kannappa.
Performance wise, Vishnu Manchu is very good. As the film progresses, we get to love his portrayal as Kannappa. After this film, Vishnu should choose his projects carefully as he has vastly improved in his acting skills. Preity Mukundhan is very beautiful and does a neat job. Mohan Babu is apt while Sarath Kumar is good. Mohan Lal is seen pre-interval and his entry creates a storm due to a magnificent BGM.
Rebel Star Prabhas makes a late entry but it’s truly worthwhile. His scenes with Mohan Babu and Vishnu Manchu are engaging and uplifts the film.
Music by Steven Davessy is good and we must appreciate his BGM. Camera work is very good but we can definitely see some VFX issues at few instances.
The first half is slow paced, wherein a little trimming could have actually done wonders. The second half catches pace but again, the run time is so huge that one can often feel the length of the film and it acts to be a bit of a hindrance.
Story wise, we do not see major surprises but since it’s a true story, the final moments elevate the film to the next level.
Overall, Kannappa is a film that can be watched for its grandeur and historical aspect. If you mind the runtime, then the film can be termed as an average because it’s very lengthy. The makers could have worked on trimming the length. Otherwise, the film is well made and deserves a chance at the box office.
Rating: 3/5