Vishnu Manchu is ready for the release of his ambitious film Kannappa, a host of co-star Mukhundhan, Akshay Kumar, Prabhas, Mohanlal, Kajal Aggarwal and other actors. The film is for release on 27 June 2025, and it is released in many Indian languages. Vishnu, along with Akshay Kumar, caught Pinkvilla with an interview, beyond the release of his fantasy-actioner with a devotional touch.
In the interview, Vishnu Manchu was asked before he got the idea of casting Akshay Kumar in the role of Lord Shiva. Dhik Star replied, “For me, when I started writing the script, for me, the only vision I had, Shri Akshay Kumar’s; who would look like Lord Shiva? Mr. Akshay Kumar. His face features, or the way he operates himself, and the way he looks!”
Beyond the release of Kanappa, see the interview of Akshay Kumar and Vishnu Manchu with Pinkvilla
He said, “I had many people, ask me if I am sure about Mr. Akshay Kumar. I said that he is the only person I can think about. But I am speaking spiritually, I think it is Lord Shiva who has chosen him to play this character and not me. I can only propose. I got approval from Lord Shiva.”
Talking about playing devotional characters, Vishnu said, “It is not easy to play the role of the gods. In the Hindi film industry, it is less. But in the south, in many languages, we make a lot of films on Ramayana or Mahabharata or other devotional films. Kumar) had to play the role of Lord Shiva”.
In his closing comment, Vishnu Manchu said that for the present generation, if someone wants to think about Lord Shiva, it should be Shri Akshay Kumar.
Adding what Vishnu told, Akshay Kumar said, “To be chosen to play it, I feel very lucky about it. I feel very strong. It is not with many people. It is not with many people. To play the role of Lord Krishna or Lord Shiva. And the film is also working. It is a big thing. I say to myself. I am the luckiest person.”
Kannappa hit theaters on 27 June 2025. It is released with MAA and F1. It should be seen how Kanappa plays amidst stringent competition.
Stay with Pinkvilla for more updates on Akshay Kumar, Vishnu Manchu and his film Kannappa.
Also read: Kannappa first review: Rajinikanth watches the film with Vishnu Manchu in a private screening, says ‘I am waiting for 22 years’
