Vishnu Manchu’s long-held passion project Kannappa has seen its theatrical release this Friday, and it has swept the box office off its feet. Based on industry trade estimates, the movie collected a whopping ₹16 crore on its opening day—the largest Day 1 collection in Vishnu’s career until date.
Merging spectacular visuals with a spiritual storyline, Kannappa has captured the imagination of viewers from across geographical boundaries. The inclusion of top stars such as Prabhas, Mohanlal, and Akshay Kumar in key roles further raised the appeal of the film, attracting audiences in huge numbers.
Following the film’s successful opening, Vishnu Manchu spoke with the media to offer his heartfelt thanks to fans and well-wishers, announcing that there is a large success bash ahead, and said that the reception of the fans was “overwhelming and emotional.”
In regards to the possibility of a sequel, Vishnu detailed that Kannappa is a film with no sequel in the works, but offered up some interesting information—after the film was released, a well-known Tollywood director reached out to him with an idea for a prequel.
Initially, I laughed,” admitted Vishnu with a grin. “But the more I considered it, the more logical it sounded. There is so much to cover—like Thinnadu’s life prior to becoming Kannappa. If the script falls into place, a prequel is very much on the cards.
Vishnu also spoke about the challenges he faced in getting Kannappa off the ground. Though he had a career spanning decades, he revealed that many top Telugu directors rejected the project. That is when he went to get acclaimed Bollywood director Mukesh Kumar Singh—who had worked on the television epic Mahabharat—to make his dream project a reality.
With Kannappa opening up big at the box office and with the potential of its universe being expanded with a prequel, Vishnu Manchu is at a promising new juncture in his career. The fans are already waiting for what’s coming next.