Wasn't easy to reach Akshay Kumar: Vishnu Manchu on star-studded Kannappa casting
Actor-filmmaker Vishnu Manchu has opened up about the emotional and creative journey behind assembling an ensemble of stars for his upcoming film 'Kannappa', a deeply personal project that pays tribute to his father, veteran actor Mohan Babu.In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Manchu revealed how his personal connections helped bring big names on board, except for one. 'Everybody other than Mr Akshay Kumar, I had a personal rapport with,' he said. 'So, to reach out to Mr Akshay Kumar was initially a little difficult. But once we reached out to him, and he was convinced with the idea we had, he just said, 'Okay, let's do it. It was an absolute pleasure working with him."advertisementWhen asked how he managed to bring the stellar cast - Prabhas, Akshay Kumar, and Mohanlal - he shared, 'I think they all did it out of the love and respect they had for my father. And I'm grateful to them for having accepted to do this."
While many have contributed in front of the camera, Manchu highlighted the support of Prabhudeva behind the scenes. 'Another unsung person on this entire journey, who's been there and supported me very strongly, is Prabhudheva. He's been there right from day one and has been extremely supportive behind the screen, pushing boundaries for me to achieve things better.'Interestingly, one of the most challenging aspects wasn't casting a Bollywood superstar, but convincing his own father to take on a pivotal role - Mahadeva Shastri.advertisement'It did take a little time for me to convince my father because he wasn't too keen on doing the role. The previous portrayal of this character in earlier films was very dicey - a priest who robs jewels from the temple and gives them to his concubine,' Manchu explained, adding, 'Dad was like, 'I don't want to be a priest who is very negative.''He added, 'I told him, 'That's not the way the character is going to be.' For me, the inspiration for Mahadeva Shastri is the sage Vishwamitra. That's how I designed it.'Eventually, Mohan Babu agreed. 'After we finished everything and made my dad hear it, he readily accepted it,' Vishnu added with a smile.'Kannappa' is all set to release on June 27.Must Watch
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