The Manchu family, never short of controversies, is back in the news with their new film Kannappa. Recent news involving family feuds was followed by the present controversy over Brahmin organizations’ objections to the way some characters have been portrayed in the film.
The issue revolves around two Brahmin characters enacted by star comedians Brahmanandam and Sapthagiri, titled “Pilaka” and “Gilaka” in the movie. A number of Brahmin communities felt uneasy and tagged the character names as offensive to their community. They have urged the actors to remove such roles and even threatened to protest against the release of the movie if they do not comply.
Tensions were further escalated when protests erupted during a recent promotional event for Kannappa held in Guntur.
Responding to the fears, producer and lead actor Manchu Vishnu explained that Kannappa has been made with utmost respect towards Hindu traditions and religious sentiments. He assured people that all measures were taken to respect cultural aspects to the utmost level.
“We were very careful during the filmmaking process. Each day of shooting started with prayers and blessings from Vedic scholars. We also consulted spiritual experts during the scripting phase to ensure authenticity and sensitivity,” Vishnu said.
He added that the movie was screened for Vedic priests from the famous Srikalahasti temple, who found no objections to any scenes or characters. “If esteemed priests raised no concerns, there is no reason to alter any part of the film,” he emphasized.
Manchu Vishnu urged audiences to hold judgment until after the release of the film as Kannappa is meant to represent devotion and values toward spirituality, not controversy.
As the release date approaches, the ongoing reactions to these objections will be closely watched. For now, Manchu Vishnu remains confident that Kannappa respectfully honors cultural and religious traditions.
