Kannappa, the much-anticipated Telugu mythological drama starring Vishnu Manchu, had a modest start at the Indian box office, collecting ₹9 crore on its opening day. Despite facing stiff competition from Kajol’s comeback film Maa, Kannappa managed to outperform it, with the latter earning ₹4.5 crore on day one.
Directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh and produced by veteran actor Mohan Babu, Kannappa is based on the legendary Shaivite devotee Kannappa from Hindu mythology. The film generated significant pre-release buzz, thanks in part to cameo appearances by Bollywood star Akshay Kumar and pan-India superstar Prabhas. Their presence seems to have played a pivotal role in drawing audiences, especially in Telugu-speaking regions.
According to early estimates from Sacnilk.com, the film saw a mixed occupancy across different language belts. Telugu regions led the way with 55.89% occupancy, followed by Tamil (16.45%), Hindi (14.56%), Kannada (13.81%), and Malayalam (7.20%). Though its overall performance in India was underwhelming for a big-budget release, it still managed to hold a lead over competing releases on its debut day.
Audience reactions to Kannappa have been mixed. While the first half of the film has been criticized for its slow pace and underwhelming VFX, the second half has received praise for its emotional depth, strong background score, and visually striking climax. Viewers on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) noted that Prabhas’ dialogues received loud cheers, and Vishnu Manchu’s emotional performance stood out, particularly in the latter part of the film.
One user tweeted, “Just watched #Kannappa. My Rating: 3.5/5. Goosebump BGM in 2nd half – pure magic! VishnuManchu shines, especially in emotional scenes. Prabhas & Mohan Babu’s presence takes it to another level. Must Watch for the epic 2nd half & performances!”
In contrast, Maa, starring Kajol and directed by Vishal Furia, marks her return to the big screen after a three-year hiatus. Despite decent promotion and a strong production team including Ajay Devgn and Kumar Mangat Pathak, the emotional drama struggled to keep pace with Kannappa‘s mythological spectacle.
With mixed reviews and moderate earnings, the real test for Kannappa lies in sustaining its performance over the weekend. Strong word-of-mouth for the second half may help boost its collection in the coming days.
