Kannappa is produced by Dr. Mohan Babu. In this section, we review the latest box-office release.
Plot:
Due to a human sacrifice incident, Thinnadu became a militant atheist as a child. He grows up to be a highly skilled atheist archer from the Chenchu tribe and becomes his hamlet's defender against an evil invader. In the process, he falls in love with Nemali, a spiritual opposite. When it's time for him to realize his destiny, Lord Shiva sends a celestial entity named Rudra to make him see the immanent reality that pervades the universe.
Performances:
Vishnu Manchu, in the titular role of Kannappa, delivers a performance that feels somewhat amateurish. He conveys his character's devotional depth and fervent emotions only in the final 20 minutes or so. His portrayal appears visibly uninspired otherwise. Preity Mukhundhan could well be the film's accidental miscast. She is more a heroine material than an orthodox devotee type.
Prabhas as Rudra is the only unadulterated choice among the secondary players. He performs his character in such a way that you can't imagine anybody else. Akshay Kumar as Lord Shiva and Kajal Aggarwal as Goddess Parvati allow themselves to be consumed by the dialogue writer's unintentionally anti-divine dialogues. For the entire film, Kajal is expected to find out information about Thinnadu/Kannappa from her consort. It's as if she is less informed than humans!
Among the supporting cast, Mohan Babu as Mahadeva Shasthri and Sarathkumar as Nathanathudu are mixed. The latter largely comes across as someone incapable of feeling for his tribe. Arpit Ranka as Kala Mukha gives Boyapati Sreenu's villains a run for their money.
Kaushal Manda as Maali, Devaraj as Mundadu, and Mukesh Rishi as Kampadu, among others, merely deliver dialogues, with a clear absence of energy and vitality in their characters.
Technical Departments:
While Sheldon Chau's cinematography and Stephen Devassy's unconventional musical composition offer some respite, they fail to mask the film's fundamental weaknesses. The devotional song after the male lead's self-realization is moving. Had this spirit pervaded the entire film, Kannappa would have been set a new standard. Stunt Choreographer Kecha Khamphakdee's work is not inventive. Editor Anthony Gonsalvez lets many scenes linger for too long.
Post-Mortem:
The first half is spent in setting up the character of Thinnadu. The dynamics involving the Gudem (Hamlet), the atheistic protagonist, and others is interspersed with an episode dedicated to Mahadeva Sastry (Mohan Babu's character). Although the focus on the romantic track is somewhat indulgent, the devotional beats of the story are around the corner. The nature of the romance between the lead pair should have been grounded. The glamorized treatment is turned cinematic by the stylized music.
Since the story's focus is on the chaos in the protagonist's life, the tension involves the build-up to the imminent clash between tribes. This tension-building and world-building are inferior in nature, leaving Prabhas the superstar to do the heavy lifting.
Since the story is set in the early centuries, the director should have visualized a distinct world made precarious by geographical terrain and erratic weather. In this regard, both the Captain and his production design team show little imagination. The poverty of imagination becomes evident in a pre-interval scene that takes place in a previous yuga. There is nothing about the episode that makes us feel that it is taking place in the Mahabharatha era. The Kailasa scenes are defined by one-note conversations and a plastic snake.
The Mohan Babu-Vishnu episode comes with a dollop of social commentary. The final stretches, starting with the entry of Prabhas' character, are engaging in a way a vintage devotional formula movie is. The screenplay doesn't deviate to provide commercial breaks in this earnest segment. Prabhas is a total treat to watch for the 25-minute run time. His entry alters the story beats so much that it's a genre-shift.
Verdict:
Kannappa is a journey from amateurish beginnings to a genuinely moving devotional experience. Prabhas is a highlight.
