Telugu actor-director Vishnu Manchu has revealed the grand plans for his big-budget epic Kannappa, featuring Prabhas, Mohanlal, Mohan Babu and Shiva Rajkumar in pivotal roles.
Manchu, who took to social media to reveal first look posters of the film, said that it revisits the folk tale of Kannappa—an atheist hunter who went on to become a devotee of Lord Shiva. The story has been adapted onto the big screen in several Indian languages before.
According to reports, Manchu, who has written the film, plays the titular role. Speaking to Variety, Manchu said that since the audience already knows the tale of Kannappa, he was taken some ceative freedom in recreating the world of the hero. “What was Kannappa before he became a devotee? It’s just a one-liner. So, I thought, why not recreate the world of Kannappa? Why don’t we transport them to a world in the second century and that’s how this whole thing came into play,” he said.
Kannappa is currently being shot across multiple locations in New Zealand, including Auckland, Pukaki and Christchurch. Manchu told Variety that he decided to choose New Zealand as he was in search of “a second century world with unpolluted skies and beautiful forests.” The visuals and the world we’re taking people in to, it is brilliant, he said.
Manchu added that he has envisioned Kannappa like The Lord of the Rings films and the visuals will some of the finest in recent Indian cinema.
Kannappa will release worldwide next year in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi.