The long-awaited devotional drama Kannappa which stars Vishnu Manchu in the lead and with Mohan Babu, Prabhas, and Mohanlal in prominent roles, has made its debut on the big screen with high hopes. Check out the review to discover whether it lives up to the hype and whether it provides an enthralling spiritual journey.
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Kannappa Movie: Story
Kannappa recounts the story that takes place of Thinnadu (Vishnu Manchu) who is a fierce hunter of the tribal who is guided in the midst of his instincts and shuns any notion of gods. He is averse to faith the world he lives in changes when he comes across the silent Shiva Lingam hidden in the woods. The initial resentment gradually transforms into raw and unreserved faith. Without any knowledge of the practices, Thinnadu worships in his unique, unrestrained and passionate manner. If God Shiva (Akshay Kumar) puts his faith to the test of time this leads to the act of giving up that is so strong that it awakens the divine within itself. This is the story of how a person who is not a believer transforms into a saint, based upon love, innocence and faith.
Kannappa Movie: Trailer
Kannappa Movie: Plus Points
The film deserves all the praise for its genuine attempt to tell the story of Kannappa to the present generation. The dedication of Vishnu Manchu to acting, both in his acting career and as the main factor behind the film is apparent throughout the film.
Vishnu delivers a solid performance. The transformation arc he plays is executed well. his standout monologue, which is performed in one take with a lot of emotion, shows how deeply he believes in the character.
Prabhas as Rudra is the game changer. His performance in the second part of the film elevates the film by blending humor and wisdom in a seamless way. His scenes featuring Vishnu along with Mohan Babu are not only entertaining, but they also enhance this spiritual voyage.
The post-transformation scenes are performed well, and the final scene hits a powerful emotional chord. Akshay Kumar as well as Kajal Aggarwal make an appearance for a brief moment, but are present.
Mohan Babu delivers with restraint The role of Mohanlal is brief his scene before intermission with Vishnu is powerful. Preity Mukundan does a great job and Sarathkumar and other actors play their job well.
Kannappa Movie: Minus Points
The story is well-known to many, the movie required a more emotional story. Unfortunately, the beginning is sluggish and the main plot does not gain momentum until after the intermission.
The most important emotional threads, particularly Thinnadu’s relationships with his wife and father is not explored. They could have given the film an emotional dimension that is needed and allowed the audience to connect more deeply.
While Thinnadu’s love for Shiva is displayed clearly however, the purity and innocence of his relationship to Shiva may have been communicated through more emotionally intense sequences.
Mohan Babu’s performance, although admirable, is underutilized. The scenes he had with Vishnu could provide memorable moments, but they do not have the impact of a dramatic scene.
Many supporting characters, like the ones that are played on screen by Madhubala, Brahmanandam, and others, are of no use and aren’t fully developed, thereby missing an opportunity to enrich the story. The action scenes could have been more choreographed.
Kannappa Movie: Technical Aspects
The director Mukesh Kumar Singh tells the story with honesty, however could have explored the emotional and spiritual facets more thoroughly. The writing is genuine and the dialogues are memorable and the cinematography by Sheldon Chau gives a full-bodied visual experience.
Stephen Devassy’s music is good however, a few songs, specifically romantic tracks, are out of place and disturb the flow of the narrative. A slicker soundtrack could have maintained the pace.
The editing by Anthony is professional, however trimming the parts of the initial part would have helped the pace of the film. The production quality is high but the VFX may not exactly match the size of the narrative. The higher quality of the visuals could enhance an overall impression.
Box Office Collection
The Tollywood big-budget movie Kannappa will be currently at the third week of its run, and nearing the closing in its run on the theatres. Beginning tomorrow, the majority of theaters will not be showing it. On the twenty-first day (third Wednesday) the film recorded the lowest single-day revenue of only Rs1 lakh, indicating that it is completely slowing down in its box-office.
In all, Kannappa has made Rs32.92 million net from India over the course of 20 days, as per Sacnilk. Of the total, Rs30.14 crore came in the first week only and the following 13 days brought in only Rs2.78 crore. In addition to GST, the total domestic total is Rs38.84 crore. In the current market of the film’s total collection over its lifetime, it is likely to be less than 33 crore net.
Kannappa Movie : Final Review
Overall, Kannappa is a heartfelt and sincere attempt to tell the story of devotion with conviction. Vishnu Manchu delivers one of his most genuine performances, and Prabhas provides a strong presence and a spirited second part. Despite a slow beginning and some characters who aren’t fully developed the film finds its rhythm later, and closes with a satisfying and emotional conclusion. With more emotional depth and more streamlined execution, the film could have been a lot more. But, Kannappa remains a decent family drama that is a good option for watching with the family.