Kannappa ending explained: How Vishnu Manchu film reveals Mahabharat connection in climax with Akshay Kumar, Prabhas
How Kannappa's ending connects Vishnu Manchu's titular character with the Mahabarata. Spoilers ahead!
Vishnu Manchu finally seems to have found favour among the audiences with his new film, Kannappa. The mythological epic has earned ₹16 crore in its first two days at the box office and seems to be generating positive word of mouth. What has particularly endeared the audiences to the film is that it largely stays true to the legend of Kannappa (barring a few deviations in the first half). The ending has also received praise.
What does Kannappa's ending mean?
Massive spoilers for Kannappa ahead!
Kannappa is the story of the legendary devotee of Lord Shiva. The Telugu folk tale is popular in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and is one of the most popular mythological tales in the region. The film shows how Thinnan, a hunter from the Chenchu tribe, transforms from a non-believer to Kannappa, the biggest devotee of Lord Krishna. Towards the end, Kannappa (Vishnu Manchu) is shown the right path by Rudra (Prabhas in a cameo), a messenger of Lord Shiva.
As Kannappa begins to care for Vayu Linga after it saves his wife, he transforms into a true devotee. But Mahadev Shastri (Mohan Babu), another Shiva devotee, is threatened by it, and he has Kannappa punished by whipping him. As Kannappa is whipped, the Vayu Linga begins to shed tears. Soon, the linga sheds tears of blood. At this, Kannappa sacrifices one of his eyes to restore its sight. Then, Lord Shiva (Akshay Kumar) and Goddess Parvati (Kajal Aggarwal) appear, not just saving Kannappa but restoring his eyesight. As Kannappa asks for moksha (salvation) to leave the cycle of birth and death, Lord Shiva reveals that Kannappa was Arjuna from the Mahabharata in a previous birth. After this, Thinnadu aka Kannappa leaves his mortal form and finds a place with Lord Shiva himself.
All about Kannappa
Directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh, Kannappa stars Vishnu Manchu in the lead role and also features star-studded cameos by Mohanlal, Akshay Kumar, Prabhas, and Kajal Aggarwal. The film also stars Preity Mukhundhan, Mohan Babu, R. Sarathkumar, Arpit Ranka, Brahmanandam, Brahmaji, Siva Balaji, Kaushal Manda, Rahul Madhav, Devaraj, Mukesh Rishi, Raghu Babu, and Madhoo.
