Vishnu: 'No Tollywood director was willing to work with me'

After a string of box office disappointments, Vishnu Manchu’s passion project Kannappa seems to be turning the tide. The film, which released on Friday, has earned approximately Rs 16.35 crore nett in India in its first two days, Rs 9.35 crore on Day 1 and Rs 7 crore on Day 2, according to early estimates by Sacnilk.

The film is already being pegged as one of the highest-grossing films in Vishnu’s career.To celebrate the promising start, the team of Kannappa held a ‘thank you meet’ for the media and fans in Hyderabad on Saturday, where Vishnu addressed questions about the making of the film, including why a Bollywood director was chosen to helm a deeply Telugu-rooted story.‘No Tollywood director would work with me’Speaking at the press event, Vishnu gave an honest answer about his decision to bring in Mukesh Kumar Singh, who directed the Star Plus Mahabharat series, for Kannappa.

“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,” he said.Acknowledging his earlier failures, Vishnu 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.”

A tale of devotion and cinematic spectacleKannappa is based on the legendary devotee of Lord Shiva from Telugu folklore, a story especially popular in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Vishnu not only plays the titular role but has also assembled a high-profile supporting cast, including cameos by Prabhas, Akshay Kumar, Mohanlal, and Kajal Aggarwal.The film also features Preity Mukhundhan, Mohan Babu, R. Sarathkumar, Arpit Ranka, Brahmanandam, Madhoo, Brahmaji, and others in pivotal roles.