Vishnu Manchu’s long-in-the-making mythological drama Kannappa may have made headlines for its ambitious scope, rich visuals, and the inclusion of Bollywood star Akshay Kumar as Lord Shiva – but when it came to box office performance, the film fell short of expectations.
Released theatrically on June 27, 2025, Kannappa was promoted as a devotional epic that tells the powerful transformation story of Thinnadu, a tribal hunter with no belief in the divine, who ends up becoming one of Lord Shiva’s most revered devotees.
Despite the grandeur and a unique story rooted in Indian mythology, the film opened to mixed reviews and didn’t see strong footfall in theatres.
Kannappa Lifetime Box Office Collection
Over its lifetime, the film managed to collect a net total of ₹32 crore across all languages. The Telugu version led the earnings with around ₹24.64 crore, while the Hindi dubbed version added a moderate ₹3.8 crore. The film also had a multilingual release across Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada, but those numbers were far from impressive. The Tamil version contributed approximately ₹75 lakh, followed closely by the Malayalam version at ₹73 lakh, and the Kannada version came in last with just ₹28 lakh.
Directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh and produced by Mohan Babu, the film had a strong ensemble cast featuring Mohan Babu himself as Mahadeva Shasthri, R Sarathkumar, Madhoo, Mukesh Rishi, Brahmaji, Karunas, and Brahmanandam, among others. Vishnu Manchu took on the lead role of Thinnadu, portraying the emotional and spiritual journey of a man who goes from atheism to ultimate surrender and sacrifice for Lord Shiva.
The story struck a spiritual chord but didn’t convert that sentiment into commercial success. However, all is not lost for Kannappa. The film is now heading to the OTT space.
According to reports, the digital streaming rights have been acquired by Amazon Prime Video, and the film is expected to start streaming on July 25, 2025 – just four weeks after its theatrical debut. This release window has caught the attention of many, considering that Vishnu Manchu had earlier revealed that he intentionally held back from selling the OTT rights before the film’s release. His idea was to evaluate the film’s box office value first and then negotiate a fairer deal with streaming platforms.
This move now seems like a strategic pivot, considering the theatrical underperformance. While Kannappa didn’t set the screens on fire, its OTT release might give it a second chance to reach a broader audience – especially those who skipped it in theatres.
As it lands on Amazon Prime Video, Kannappa could still find appreciation for its devotional theme, striking visuals, and emotional core – even if the big-screen numbers didn’t quite add up.