Vishnu Manchu claims 'Kannappa' is his 'Lord of the Rings'
22 Jun 2025

Vishnu Manchu, the lead actor in the upcoming pan-India film Kannappa, recently revealed that he has been working on its script for a decade.

Speaking to IMDb, he said, "I am a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings and this is my version of it."

"Kannappa is a true story which has happened in India... I kind of resonated with the script when I heard it," he said.

My journey began in 2014, says Manchu
Script development

Manchu revealed that his journey with Kannappa started in 2014 when a scriptwriter approached him with the story.

"For me, when he was narrating it to me, I was already making it larger than life, trying to make it big. Since then, my journey began, and I started developing the script and making it large," he shared.

Manchu praises director Mukesh Kumar Singh
Director's influence

Manchu also spoke highly of director Mukesh Kumar Singh, who has previously worked on Mahabharata.

He said, "Mr. Mukesh comes with a lot of experience... When he came in, he gave a few nuances which were phenomenal."

"The character arcs that he helped the actors achieve were absolutely brilliant. The credit for the performance of the actors goes to him," added Manchu.

Filming 'Kannappa' has changed my life for the better: Manchu
Personal growth

Manchu shared how filming Kannappa has changed his life for the better.

"While making the movie, and after making the movie, and being and dwelling in this movie, I am right now living in a lot of positivity," he said.

He added that he believes this transformation is due to Lord Shiva's magic.

The film also stars Akshay Kumar, Prabhas, and Mohanlal in special cameos.

It's set to release on June 27.