Vishnu Manchu says 'no Tollywood director was willing to work with him', hence he chose 'Hindi director' for Kannappa

Vishnu Manchu's Kannappa has been directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh, a TV director who is making his feature film debut with the Telugu release.

Updated on: Jun 29, 2025, 09:40:21 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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