Actor Vishnu Manchu has had a challenging few years in cinema. But his new release, Kannappa, has promised to wipe his slate clean. The film has earned ₹15 crore net in India on its first two days, already becoming one of Vishnu’s highest-grossing films. This success meant that the film’s team held a ‘thank you meet’ for media and fans in Hyderabad on Saturday, a day after the film’s release.

Vishnu Manchu on Mukesh Kumar Singh directing Kannappa

Kannappa is the story of the legendary devotee of Lord Shiva. The Telugu folk tale is popular in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and is one of the most popular mythological tales in the region. At the press meet, Vishnu was asked why he and the team chose a ‘Bollywood filmmaker’ – Mukesh Kumar Singh – to tell what was essentially a story rooted in Telugu culture.

Vishnu responded, “You (media) very well know that no director from Tollywood would be willing to work with me if I approached them with the Kannappa script.” The actor then addressed his past box office failures and added, “Also, my last few films didn’t perform well. Mukesh Kumar Singh brilliantly handled a show based on an Indian epic. Despite Kannappa being his debut feature film as a director, I entrusted him with the responsibility. He is a hidden gem, and I want to bring such talent to the forefront.”

Mukesh Kumar Singh has made his film debut with Kannappa. Prior to this, he had directed the popular Star Plus adaptation of Mahabharat.

All about Kannappa

Kannappa stars Vishnu Manchu in the lead role and also features star-studded cameos by Mohanlal, Akshay Kumar, Prabhas, and Kajal Aggarwal. The film also stars Preity Mukhundhan, Mohan Babu, R. Sarathkumar, Arpit Ranka, Brahmanandam, Brahmaji, Siva Balaji, Kaushal Manda, Rahul Madhav, Devaraj, Mukesh Rishi, Raghu Babu, and Madhoo.