Vishnu Manchu: Dr Rajkumar's Bedara Kannappa was a mass entertainer in its time
In 1954, Bedara Kannappa marked the cinematic rise of Dr Rajkumar. Decades later, in 1988, Shivarajkumar carried the torch forward with Shiva Mechchida Kannappa. Now, 37 years on, the iconic tale of the ardent Shiva devotee returns in a new avatar — Kannappa, a multilingual film, lead by Vishnu Manchu and produced on a lavish scale by his father, Dr Mohan Babu. Kannappa is set to hit the screens worldwide on June 27. All eyes are on whether this fusion of faith, fantasy, and modern cinema can strike a chord with today's audience.
We caught up with Vishnu Manchu at the film's teaser and song launch in Bengaluru, an event graced by Shivarajkumar and Rockline Venkatesh, who is also distributing the film across Karnataka. Amidst the fanfare, Vishnu spoke exclusively to CE about redefining devotion for a modern audience.
When asked about adapting a devotional classic in a tech-driven, commercial format, he responded candidly: 'Back then, they made Bedara Kannappa with what they had. Today, we're doing the same — using what's available to us. But while technology has changed, devotion hasn't. The way we tell the story, however, must evolve.'
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