According to Vishnu Manchu, his pan-Indian Kannappa epic combines Lord of the Rings philosophy with Indian storytelling.

Speaking to HT, Vishnu Manchu discusses his impending pan-India epic and how he persuaded Prabhas, Mohanlal, and Akshay Kumar to star in it.

The film Kannappa, which stars Vishnu Manchu and was produced by his father, Tollywood superstar Mohan Babu, features an impressive ensemble cast that includes Prabhas, Sarathkumar, Kajal Aggarwal, Preity Mukundhan, Brahmanandam, B-Town's Akshay Kumar, Mollywood star Mohanlal, and Mohan Babu. With a huge pan-Indian premiere scheduled for April 25, the film, which was directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh, will be available in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, and English.

From New Zealand to Hyderabad
Vishnu Manchu discussed this high-profile film in an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, revealing that eight containers of set materials were imported from Hyderabad and that the film was shot in New Zealand for ninety days in a row. It's not easy to shoot 800 people in a foreign country. He decided to make this movie in New Zealand because he thinks it's the only area left on Earth that hasn't been altered by humans since God created it.

Vishnu freely admits, "We did manage to shoot everything on time," when asked if they were able to finish the production in New Zealand on schedule and within the allotted budget. Additionally, I would definitely save another 10–15% of everyone's time, money, and effort if I could go back in time. For me, this is definitely a costly learning curve, but we succeeded because of everyone's collaboration, including the carpenters, the set department, the set assistants, etc. There were over 600 crew personnel there, and 197 Thai workers were on the scene. I sincerely appreciate everyone's attendance, nearly five months of time spent there, and their dedication to the movie. At one point, we also employed over 200 Maori locals and crew. Maori culture and our culture are very similar; some are like family to me now.”

Where Indian mythology and LOTR collide

The film centers on Kannappa Nayannar, a devoted follower of Lord Shiva whose life narrative is strongly related to that of the Srikalahasteeswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh. In folklore, Kannappa was so devoted to his faith that he gave Lord Shiva both of his eyes. What captivated Vishnu about this tale? "I've seen the Telugu version of Bhakta Kannappa a lot, so I was interested when director Tanikella Bharani shared his story with me in 2015." After months of working on the script, he claimed he wasn't the best person to helm the movie because I had envisioned it being lavishly produced. He felt more at ease directing smaller movies. Thus, I purchased the  rights to the film and decided to produce it. I loved Lord of The Rings (LOTR), and I was wondering if I could incorporate the story I grew up with and the LOTR outlook.”

The Telugu actor is quick to note that many of the members of the impressive ensemble cast of Going Pan-Indian Kannappa worked on the movie because they have a great deal of respect for his father, the legendary Telugu actor Mohan Babu. All of the actors in this film acted because they loved and respected my father. I would be lying if I claimed the credit, but I wish I could! I appreciate their love and affection, and as I get older, I hope to be able to maintain these kinds of relationships," he says with a smile. Will he be able to emulate his father's performance in 600 films? "I can never compare to that! "Times have changed," Vishnu responds.

After years of trying, I've now been able to work with Sarathkumar's uncle, who has watched me grow up. He greatly aided the movie in a number of ways. In addition to choreographing three songs, Prabhu Deva Anna also worked on the climax. After much nagging, Akshay Kumar finally gave in. He's a really professional, kind, and talented performer. His humorous timing is something I really admire," Vishnu says. Prabhas is a close buddy, and at this point in his career, he doesn't have to do Kannappa. However, he quickly consented to participate. I owe him a debt of gratitude for accomplishing this. His humility is what I adore most about him.

In Kannappa, three generations
Interestingly, all four of Vishnu's children appear in Kannappa, which sees three generations in one film, even though Vishnu's father, Mohan Babu, plays Mahadeva Shastri. His twin daughters will appear in a song, while the third daughter will have a brief appearance. His son, Avram Baktha Manchu, plays little Thinnadu. They've been going to sets since they were born, so it's normal for them. However, I had to make sure they were at ease and received the proper vaccinations. In addition to making sure the girls were dancing correctly, I was quite concerned about Avram because they had a number of situations with Sharath's uncle and other people.

As the release date draws near, Vishnu acknowledges that he is anxious and experiencing butterflies in his stomach. Nevertheless, he claims that he is fairly certain that Kannappa will strike a chord with everyone if he is spot on with the tale. "I think my director did a great job telling the story, and that's what matters most." Everyone has put in a lot of labor on this film, including the artists and technicians, and they will all be honored for it," Vishnu Manchu concludes.