Movie Review by Prashant Shukla
Plot:
Set in 2nd-century India, a hunter named Thinnadu loses all faith in the divine and refuses to worship any god after his friend is killed in the name of a holy sacrifice. But when deadly and unexpected circumstances confront Thinnadu and his clan, how he overcomes these obstacles -and how this extreme atheist becomes the greatest devotee of Lord Shiva-forms the basic premise of the film.
The Performances:
The performances in Kannappa are largely in sync with the lethargic writing of the film. Akshay Kumar as Lord Shiva doesn’t evoke any emotion whatsoever, and the kind of divinity and warmth you should feel while looking at him is simply absent. Kajal Aggarwal merely exists as Maa Parvati, and Preity Mukhundhan as the leading lady is decent at best. Our leading man, Vishnu Manchu, who occupies almost 90% of the screen time, also manages to be just about decent. The one who actually surprised me was Prabhas-he was thoroughly entertaining to watch in his brief appearance!
The Technical Aspects:
I really want to craft a sentence that could articulate my thoughts on why the film falters in its technical department, but even after putting my analytical brain to its full potential, the only word that comes to mind is “BAD.” I do not intend to be sarcastic here-it’s just bad. Poorly rendered CGI, obvious green-screen replacements and dubbing, and atrociously edited, atrociously choreographed action sequences all combine to create a cinematic experience reminiscent of th old South Indian films that used to air on Set Max.
The Writing & Pacing:
The biggest issue with Kannappa is its pacing, which simply wastes your time. The journey of an atheist becoming a strong believer should have been the focus of the film, but every now and then it wanders off into subplots or uncomfortable romantic songs that catch you off guard. At one point, we’re led to believe that war is about to arrive at the clan’s doorstep, and in the very next scene, we’re thrown into a romantic subplot with the protagonists, complete with oddly and weirdly choreographed songs-only to be reminded again, “Hey, it’s wartime.” Abrupt and lethargic would he the perfect words to describe the screenplay.
Direction:
By all means, Kannappa should have been a sincere devotional film, given the rich and beautiful story the makers had up their sleeves. But no-the direction here is so directionless that it reduces this powerful story to the level of a low-budget TV serial. There are a few moments where you do feel the intensity-like the final act with Prabhas, Thinnadu’s transformation into a devotee, and a powerful song by Kailash Kher- but these positives are like a needle in a haystack. It could have been so much better.
Post Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLZ3zkJqTu2/?img_index=6&igsh=eG9nYnJnOWpzeGp6
Final Verdict:
Kannappa is a classic example of a film squandering its potential in every possible way. What should have been an evocative tale of faith ends up as an exhausting watch you’ll likely forget the moment it’s over.
