‘Kannappa’ Movie Review
Movie: Kannappa
Release: 27 June 2025
CBFC Rating: UA
Run-time: 3h 3m
Cast: Vishnu Manchu, Mohan Babu, Prabhas, Mohanlal, Akshay Kumar, Sarat Kumar, Kajal Aggarwal, Preity Mukundha, Arpit Ranka, Brahmanandam, Saptagiri, Mukesh Rishi, Madhubala, Aishwarya Bhaskaran, Brahmaji, Devaraj, Raghu Babu, Siva Balaji, Sampath Ram, Lavi Pajni, Surekha Vani, Kaushal And Adhurs Raghu.
Cinematographer: Sheldon Chau
Music Director: Stephen Devassy
Editor: Anthony Gonsalvez
Banner: Twenty Four Frames Factory & AVA Entertainment
Producer: Dr.M. Mohan Babu, Vishnu Manchu
Story & Screenplay: Vishnu Manchu
Director: Mukhesh Kumar Singh
Kannappa, directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh and starring Manchu Vishnu, is a devotional tale that tells the story of Thinnadu, an atheist who transforms into a great devotee of Lord Shiva. The film boasts a huge budget of over Rs 200crs and features powerful cameos from Akshay Kumar, Mohan Lal, Kajal Agarwal, and Prabhas. With a renowned cast, including Mohan Babu, and Sarath Kumar, Kannappa is a film that has generated significant buzz.
Plot
The story revolves around Thinnadu (Manchu Vishnu), an atheist hunter who starts hating God due to shocking incidents in his childhood. However, his life takes a turn when he meets Nemali (Preity Mukundan), and danger lurks in the form of Kalamukha (Arpit Rana), who is after Vayulinga. The film explores Thinnadu’s transformation into Kannappa, a great devotee of Lord Shiva, and the role played by various characters, including Lord Shiva (Akshay Kumar), Goddess Parvathi (Kajal Agarwal), Mahadeva Shastri (Mohan Babu), Kirata (Mohan Lal), and Rudra (Prabhas).
Performances
Manchu Vishnu puts in a lot of effort into his role, delivering dialogues in his own style with ease and performing well in emotional scenes. Prabhas makes a powerful impact in the role of Rudra, and his scenes and dialogues take the scenes to another level. Mohan Babu displayed his experience and delivered clapworthy performance with his unique dialogue delivery.
Preity Mukundan oozes sensuality on the screen, and her chemistry with Manchu Vishnu is sizzling. Sarath Kumar performs well in the emotional role of the father, while Mohan Lal is good in the cameo of Kiraata. Akshay Kumar and Kajal Agarwal have decent roles, and their conversation generates interest.
Highlights
Manchu Vishnu
Prabhas
Mohan Babu, Mohan Lal Roles
Emotionally Charged Climax
Negatives
Parts In First Half
Excess Dose Of Romance
Analysis
The narration starts in an interesting way but loses pace soon. The first half is full of romance and action, while the second half is more on devotion and the transformation of Thinnadu. The emotional climax and powerful dialogues regarding the existence of Lord Shiva connect chords and touch the hearts of all. Altogether, Kannappa is a devotional entertainer that showcases the devotion of Thinnadu towards Lord Shiva. While the film has its advantages, including Manchu Vishnu’s dedication and Prabhas’s powerful role, it also has some disadvantages, such as the parts of first half and slow pace.
Kannappa is an emotional devotional tale that has well executed final hour. Overall, Kannappa is a film that is a must watch for fans of devotional films. Mukesh Kumar Singh’s direction is good, and the story and screenplay are decent. The cinematography of Sheldon Chau adds value to the narration, and the background score of Stephan Devassy is good. Production values are grand and Vishnu Manchu deserves accolades as a producer too for bringing such huge cast on and made the film on large canvas.
Rating: 3.75 / 5
Bottom-line: A Touching Tribute to devotee of Lord Shiva.
