Akshay Kumar to debut in Tollywood with Vishnu Manchu's 'Kannappa'
What's the story
Stepping beyond Bollywood's borders, Akshay Kumar is reportedly set to make his debut in Tollywood with the upcoming fantasy drama Kannappa.
The film, starring Vishnu Manchu and produced by Mukesh Kumar Singh, is a tale deeply rooted in mythology.
Industry tracker Ramesh Bala confirmed Kumar's participation via a tweet on X stating that the Bollywood actor has joined the cast of this prestigious pan-India big-budget movie.
Official confirmation is still awaited.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Although Kannappa marks Kumar's Tollywood debut, it isn't his first involvement in South Indian cinema.
The actor has earlier worked in Ashaant, a 1993 bilingual film also released in Kannada as Vishnu Vijaya.
More recently, he made his Tamil debut with the Rajinikanth-led sci-fi film 2.0, directed by Shankar in 2018.
Separately, Kumar's next release is Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, slated for Wednesday.
It will lock horns with Ajay Devgn's Maidaan.
Star-studded team
'Kannappa' features an ensemble cast and renowned crew
Meanwhile, talking about Kannappa, Kumar joins a reported ensemble cast from various film industries, including Manchu, Mohan Babu, Prabhas, Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar, Madhoo, Sarathkumar, Prabhu Deva, Brahmanandam, Mukesh Rishi and Kaushal Manda.
Details about what characters these stars will play are currently under wraps.
The musical score will be provided by Stephen Devassy and Mani Sharma. Sheldon Chau will oversee cinematography while editing will be handled by Anthony.
Production details
Manchu's dual role in 'Kannappa' and about the film production
Manchu has a personal stake in Kannappa, not only starring in it but also penning the screenplay.
The story was crafted by Paruchuri Gopala Krishna, Eshwar Reddy, G Nageswara Reddy, and Thota Prasad.
Backed by AVA Entertainment and 24 Frames Factory, the Telugu film will be later dubbed into other South Indian languages and Hindi.
To note, the plot is about an atheist hunter Kannappa—who became a devotee of Lord Shiva—and plucked out his eyes in devotion.
Production updates
Cast changes and shooting locations for 'Kannappa'
Per reports, the film initially locked Kajal Aggarwal and Nupur Sanon (Kriti Sanon's sister) as the female leads.
However, due to unforeseen circumstances, they had to step down and were replaced by Preity Mukhundhan.
The shooting of Kannappa has taken place in New Zealand and Hyderabad so far.
The film has been envisioned like the popular film series Lord of the Rings, said Manchu in a previous interview with Variety.