Released on 27 June 2025, Kannappa is a much-anticipated Telugu devotional epic based on the folklore of Thinnadu, a hunter-turned-devotee of Lord Shiva. The project is directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh, written and led by Vishnu Manchu, and produced by his father Mohan Babu. The film features a star-studded ensemble including Prabhas, Akshay Kumar, Mohanlal, Kajal Aggarwal, Preity Mukhundhan, along with seasoned actors like R. Sarathkumar, Madhoo, Brahmanandam, and others.
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The film opened strongly at the box office, collecting approximately ₹9.35 crore on opening day and ₹7 crore on day two, making it one of Vishnu Manchu’s highest-grossing ventures. It amassed around ₹23.75 crore in its opening weekend, outperforming big releases like Brad Pitt’s F1 and Kajol’s Maa. Though its financial trajectory seemed promising, vocal criticism emerged soon afterward, particularly focusing on subpar visual effects.
VFX Troubles Emerge—Criticism and Response
Despite its commercial success, Kannappa drew mixed reviews mainly due to its underwhelming VFX quality. Social media users, especially on X (formerly Twitter), called out scenes that appeared poorly composited and artificial. Many compared the film’s CGI unfavorably to Adipurush, another high-profile mythological film which faced similar backlash.
Some strong reactions included:
“Kannappa – The worst VFX/CGI since Adipurush in India! … with good budget, they did this blunder.”
“Horrible sir… vfx song lo scene lo fight lo asalu emotion undadu… except Prabhas scenes, movie motham worst.”
These criticisms prompted a candid response from Vishnu Manchu, who acknowledged during a press conference that several crucial sequences were edited out because the VFX failed to meet production standards.
“The editor, director, and I sacrificed some excellent scenes in the film because the VFX was not on the level we expected it to be,” he confessed, calling the experience “a massive lesson” he vowed never to repeat.
Scenes Lost to Technical Shortcomings
The sacrificed scenes, according to Vishnu Manchu, included action set pieces and mythological moments pivotal to the soul of Kannappa. These were ultimately cut to avoid undermining viewer immersion with substandard CGI.
Manchu explained that while the editorial decision preserved the film’s flow, he regretted these excisions. However, he noted that many viewers reportedly didn’t notice the cuts, which somewhat mitigated the damage.
Analyzing Social Media Pulse
Reactions across media reflect a predictable pattern: strong narrative payoff in the second half contrasted with technical lapses in the first. Reviews praised emotionally potent sequences with Vishnu and other stars like Prabhas and Mohanlal, but blasted runtime padding and amateurish CGI.
“My Rating: 3.5/5… goosebump BGM in 2nd half – pure magic!… Prabhas dialogues ki theatre lo whistles vachchayi. Vishnu emotional ga perform chesadu…”
“Mixed bag with some highs and lows. Positives: songs, Manchu Vishnu’s effort, Prabhas’ episode… Negatives: weak cinematography, average editing, artificial CGI, costumes.”
Echoing similar sentiment, India Today’s own review observed that despite having its share of drawbacks, Kannappa succeeds in stirring devotional emotion by the climax—”worth watching if one has the patience”.
Lessons Learned and Future Outlook
Vishnu Manchu has taken a firm stance on not repeating his mistakes, citing the production missteps as a significant learning curve:
“It’s such a lesson that I’ll never repeat that mistake again.”
He didn’t rule out future mythological epics but stressed the importance of aligning visual ambition with technical execution. In interviews, he admitted the production encountered multiple VFX challenges, including a theft of a hard drive carrying critical VFX work, which further complicated post-production.
Industry Implications
The situation raises larger questions about India’s readiness to mount grand-scale mythological films while maintaining technical finesse. Kannappa’s missteps highlight a need to:
- Invest in stronger VFX infrastructure and specialized talent.
- Allocate more post-production time for CGI refinement.
- Prioritize early test screenings to flag visual inconsistencies.
These issues echo similar criticisms faced by Adipurush earlier. The conversation sparked by Kannappa may push producers to plan for better-equipped VFX teams and higher standards—especially when delivering superstar-led epics.
VFX driven future
Kannappa represents an ambitious push by Vishnu Manchu to craft a mythological blockbuster. Though it succeeded commercially, the film’s visual shortcomings and scene cuts due to poor VFX became its biggest detractors. Manchu’s forthright acknowledgment and commitment to improvement are welcome signs, reflecting maturity and a willingness to learn. If future Telugu epics meld scale with polish, Kannappa may be remembered as a cautionary yet crucial milestone in the evolution of Indian VFX-driven cinema.
By – Sonali