A MESSY EPIC WHERE DEVOTION ARRIVES TOO LATE

Vishnu Manchu's passion project promises a spiritual spectacle but mostly delivers awkward romance, fake wigs and boredom

- ADITYA DEVULAPALLY

First off, because people had modest to low expectations on this film, it's safe to say that there are many positives here, more than expected. Vishnu Manchu's much-publicised magnum opus positions itself as a spiritual retelling of a tribal warrior's transformation into Lord Shiva's most ardent devotee. Unfortunately, it spends more time in disjointed subplots that don't do anything to the plot. By the time Kannappa finally discovers the pulse of its own story, some two hours into its bloated runtime, the audience is already spiritually liberated from the act of caring.

Kannappa is based on the classic arc of the non-believer-turned-believer. Our protagonist Thinnadu (Vishnu Manchu) is an atheist in the second century who despises the rituals of his tribes and rebels against the norms. Which sounds promising on paper, except the film never explores what that really means. Instead, we are launched into a painfully superficial love story with Nemali (Preity Mukundhan), which mostly serves as an excuse for the awkward age-gap romance and heavy midriff shots. After an uninspired war, an ironic love story, and a brief encounter with the divine, Thinnadu evolves into the devout Kannappa.