Manchu Vishnu Regrets Missing Rajinikanth In Kannappa

As the release of Kannappa draws near, Manchu Vishnu has been opening up during the film’s promotional run. In one of his interviews, he revealed a missed opportunity that’s still on his mind. The makers had once planned a special character to pair alongside Mohan Babu’s role, and Rajinikanth was their dream choice for it. But the idea never made it past the scripting stage.

Vishnu said that after discussions with the writers, the track was dropped. Their concern was simple — it would stretch the film beyond what the narrative could handle. In the end, they kept it tight. Vishnu added that audiences would understand the reasoning behind Prabhas' casting once they watch the film. Interestingly, he clarified that Prabhas was not considered for the role of Shiva but was drawn to the role of Rudra.

The film, directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh, has been Vishnu’s long-standing passion project. During the same interaction, he shared a strange encounter with the censor board. They questioned a song's lyrical video by asking, “What evidence is there that Kannappa had a love story?” The answer came from scriptures — Kannappa’s wife, Neela, whose presence forms an emotional layer in the film.

Kannappa stars Prabhas, Mohan Babu, Mohanlal, Akshay Kumar, and Kajal Aggarwal. It tells the story of the devotee Kannappa, mixing devotion and drama. Vishnu’s regret about missing Rajinikanth shows that some plans had to change along the way.