The missing Kannappa footage controversy has taken a dramatic turn, as Vishnu Manchu revealed that individuals previously associated with his younger brother Manoj Manchu are connected to the disappearance of the film’s footage.
During an interaction with media in Chennai as part of the promotions for his upcoming film Kannappa on Friday, Vishnu alleged, “Raghu and Charitha (the two people currently under investigation for the missing footage) had previously worked with my brother, Manchu Manoj. However, I cannot confirm if the footage was taken under his direction. Four weeks ago, before we even filed a formal complaint, we reached out to Manoj through mutual friends to express our concerns and asked for the material to be returned. But there was no response.”
He added, “When the VFX-related hard disk was sent from Mumbai, it was delivered to my father Mohan Babu’s residence in Film Nagar — which is standard procedure. We are three siblings, and all our packages are routinely sent there. Our respective managers usually collect them from that location. Similarly, the hard disk in question arrived at our dad’s residence, where it was handed over to Raghu and Charitha . They have been missing ever since.”
Quote:
On May 18, a tweet began circulating, speculating, What if Kannappa movie’s hard disk gets leaked online? This heightened our worries. Before filing the FIR, we reached out to Manoj through common friends and urged him to return it (missing hard drive). But there was no response. Buzz is that it is at his residence
– Vishnu Manchu
Vishnu urged viewers to refrain from watching or circulating the material if it is leaked online. “The 70-minute VFX-heavy segment is password protected. But if any footage does get leaked We sincerely request everyone please don’t watch or share it. We’ve put immense effort into this project. I would be truly relieved if the hard drive is returned. Thankfully, we do have a backup.”