00:01Vishnu sir, first of all, welcome to INS.
00:04And my first question is, what inspired you to take both the role of an actor, producer
00:09as well as the writer in the film?
00:11See, initially I was approached to make, be the actor of this movie and then
00:18later I loved the movie so much and I started giving inputs and
00:22halfway through the inputs, the writer came to me and told me,
00:26see if the movie is made in 2 or 3 crores, I can make it like an art film but what you're thinking is larger than life
00:31and I don't think I'm the right guy to do it.
00:33You can take the script and you can develop it as much as you want, it's all yours.
00:37So my journey with Kannapa as a writer started in 2015 and simultaneously,
00:42you know, I was looking at different locations across the world to tell them the story of what I wanted.
00:48A place where will bring my story to life is what I was searching for.
00:54And simultaneously, my script was getting ready and I was doing a lot of homework for it because I knew
01:00at that point of time, I didn't have the market or the, you know, for the saleability of the movie,
01:06for the scale I was trying to, I was imagining.
01:09So and now, I was able to do it, you know, when we decided, okay, we'll just go for it,
01:15I had almost 80% of the work done.
01:17So we just went with it with lightning speed.
01:19Okay.
01:20Sir, talking about your character, sir, describe your character in Kannapa and what made the role stand out for you.
01:26See, Kannapa is, when I was writing for me, there's a lot of conflict within that person.
01:35He's taken a decision, there's no God.
01:38He's an atheist, he scolds God, he doesn't like rituals, none of that he likes.
01:44From being such an atheist to become God's greatest devotee, that arc is what something was very fascinating for me.
01:53You know, you have to convince, you know, yourself so blindly that all your life you said there was no God and all of a sudden you decided there is God.
02:03What made him say that? And it's all they say Shiva Leela.
02:08Yeah.
02:09And that's what I think happened to him and happened to me also while writing the script.
02:14Okay. As a producer and writer of the film, what was the most challenging aspect of bringing Kannapa to life?
02:20See, when I look back at it, it's funny, there's nothing challenging for me.
02:29My only thing was, I wanted the StarCast to say yes when I approached them and by the grace of God, everybody accepted.
02:36They believed in my dream and they all accepted and I'm grateful and thankful for each and every one of them,
02:43especially Prabhas and Mr. Mohan Lal, you know, I'm really grateful for them to have accepted and Mr. Akshay Kumar, Mr. Sarat Kumar,
02:54all these people, they're all legends in their own, you know, field and for them to accept and come forward and work on Kannapa,
03:03I think it's all, they all believed in the dream which I had and I'm grateful for it.
03:10Talking about Akshay Kumar as Lord Shiva, so how did you came to choose Akshay Kumar as Lord Shiva?
03:16See, every generation actors have portrayed Lord Shiva and for this generation, I strongly believe,
03:24you think of Lord Shiva, it's going to be only Mr. Akshay Kumar's face which has to come into your mind,
03:29if you think of an actor who played Lord Shiva and that's why I was after him to accept this role
03:35and it took quite some time for me to make him do the role.
03:39What did the audience expect from Kannapa that said, apart from the previous films?
03:46Kannapa is a story of a Netas who becomes God's greatest devotee and it is based on true facts
03:52and also on the life of Kannapa. This was made many a times but this time,
03:57this is my version of the Kannapa and probably for this generation,
04:03they will know the story of Kannapa and Vayulinga and the Sri Kalahasti Temple.
04:09Okay. Talking, I have seen the teaser of the film and it shows something like Mel Gibson's film.
04:16So, were you inspired by somewhere?
04:18See, that's very beautiful you say that you are probably the third person to say,
04:22the first person who said that was Mr. Mohanlal.
04:24Okay.
04:25The other person who said that it looked like Braveheart was Mr. Prabhudeva
04:28and you are the other person who said when you looked at the visuals.
04:31Yeah.
04:32I wanted the story, I wanted to tell the story, you know, in a different fashion.
04:39But not exactly like I am not going out of history.
04:42Yeah.
04:43So, this happened somewhere around the second and third century.
04:46So, how was my country, how was Bharat, you know, in the second and third century?
04:51Yeah.
04:52Crystal clear waters, no pollution, beautiful greenery.
04:55That is what I, you know, I envisaged.
04:57And I went across the world to go see a location which, you know, I went even to Ireland, you know, where they shot the Vikings.
05:08And I went to Scotland, everywhere Australia.
05:12I went through three places in United States.
05:14I went to UK, outskirts of UK in the, you know, wilderness.
05:19Nothing came close to when I went and visited New Zealand.
05:23When I saw New Zealand, I said, okay, this is where Kannappa will be made.
05:27Okay.
05:28So, that's why we chose New Zealand and we filmed the entire film there.
05:32Sir, what is the one memorable behind the scene movement during the making of Kannappa that stand out to you?
05:40I had a scene with Mr. Mohan Lal and he is one of the greatest actors in the world for me.
05:50And when I performed a scene, I had to kneel down in front of him and I had to talk to him.
05:59After the cut was over, he took two steps forward and he said, son, you did a good job.
06:05Okay.
06:06And for me, it was like, wow.
06:09I, you know, for me, I grew up watching his films and I regard him as one of the greatest actors in the world.
06:14And he coming and appreciating my work was something I could never forget.
06:19And another sequence was when, there is a sequence when you will watch in the movie between Mr. Akshay Kumar and my character.
06:33Yeah.
06:34The younger version of my character, there is a scene towards the end of the film.
06:38Okay.
06:39That was, that was impromptu decision by Mr. Akshay Kumar.
06:43Okay.
06:44And that is one of the best moments for me in the movie.
06:47Okay.
06:48What is the scene like?
06:49Oh, I don't want to break the surprise.
06:51It's going to be a surprise when you watch the movie.
06:53That's the reason why we didn't put that sequence out in the song which we also put it out.
06:57Okay.
06:58You have released two volumes of comics on Kanappa and had said a third volume would be released soon.
07:07So, has the third volume been released?
07:08Yeah, it was released by Mr. Akshay Kumar in the recent press meet we had.
07:13Okay.
07:14You announced that you would be undertaking a journey to all the twelve holy places where there are Jyothilingas.
07:20So, you have completed three or five now.
07:23Five so far.
07:24Five.
07:25Now, how many have been, so if so it, holy place did you get any realization to it?
07:34See the reason, people go to Jyothilingas, you know and they say that when you go to,
07:40you know, some people stop at a Jyothilinga where they get their awakening and where they,
07:46where they feel that this is my calling.
07:50For me, I did have a divine experience, you know, among the five, you know, within the five Jyothilingas I travel.
07:59But I still have seven more to go.
08:01I am not going to stop because I felt, you know, I felt, I feel and I am living in immense positivity right now.
08:08There are pressures, there are work pressures, there are other pressures which I go to day to day life.
08:14You know, releasing a movie of this scale is not going to be, you know, a very easy walk.
08:20There is, there are a lot of hurdles.
08:22But right now in my space, you know, I feel there is a lot of positivity and I am like, I am living the moment right now and I am enjoying it.
08:29Sir, talking about the budget of the movie and especially you have shorted it in New Zealand.
08:35So, tell us something about that, what is specific budget of the movie because looking at the teaser,
08:41it seems that it is a huge budget film, sir.
08:44It is a huge budget film.
08:46And with three series superstars in it, sir.
08:48It is a huge budget film but I rather would like to talk about the scale and the beauty of the film rather than the budget of the film.
08:54As both an actor and producer, some argue that balancing both can compromise one of your roles.
09:01So, do you ever felt that being a producer affects your performance as an actor in Kanappa?
09:07Somehow, I never felt really that because of course, the main producer of the movie is my father.
09:12I was a showrunner for the movie.
09:14So, all decisions had to go through me at the end of the day.
09:17But I think I, you know, I rely heavily on my team and the team is what took the entire burden.
09:23For me, I was just on the creative decisions of it because I wrote the script and I was mounting the project.
09:28I was a showrunner.
09:29Because of that, it was quite easy for me.
09:32You know, I have been doing it for quite some time.
09:34But when you look at the movie, if you think I did a good job as an actor, I think I have passed.
09:40Okay.
09:41Sure, sir.
09:42Some critics argue that commercial cinema can overshadow the core message of a film.
09:46So, do you think Kanappa risks being its core message due to its larger-than-life treatment?
09:53I think some of those critics will be proven wrong with Kanappa.
09:57Okay.
09:58With the rise of digital platform, do you feel that traditional cinema is being left behind?
10:03See, going to a cinema is a experience.
10:07Going, sitting there, watching with a group of people.
10:09It's like going to a concert.
10:11So, now, it is, you know, when DVDs first came out, you know, people started saying people will not go to the theatre.
10:18That's the same thing.
10:20We are seeing the trend now.
10:21OTTs come out, people will not go to the theatre.
10:23But, of course, didn't people go and see Chava?
10:25What a rage people went.
10:27Didn't people go and see that horror film with Ms. Shraddha Kapoor?
10:32Mr. Shraddha Kapoor.
10:33Mr. Shri too.
10:34Mr. Shri too.
10:35With Mr. Rajkumar and Mr. Shraddha Kapoor.
10:37What a...people go for that.
10:38It's not like they'll go, you know, they're going to sit at home.
10:42But if there's a good film which they believe that it's going to be a great film, people will go to the theatre.
10:46Talking about Akshay Kumar playing Lord Shiva, it is always said that there should be some fasting being done if you play Lord Shiva.
10:53Is it like that or not?
10:55I don't think any of those criteria...some people believe it should be done.
11:02Yeah.
11:03It's up to how they look up to God and what is their relationship with God.
11:08Yeah.
11:09Each of us have a different relationship with God and the comfort zone you feel in communicating with God.
11:14Producing a film like Kanappa, do you think sometimes face pressure from the industry or other stakeholders to tone down certain aspects of the film?
11:23When you're true to the subject and when you're, you know, your heart is in the right place and you make a movie with devotion and faith,
11:33I don't think anybody will find a mistake in it.
11:36And one of the finest examples is Chava.
11:39Okay.
11:40What's next for you both as an actor and a producer?
11:43Oh, I'll be producing a lot of films but as an actor, I'm still, you know, I've parked everything aside until Kanappa releases.
11:53Yeah, we see you too.
11:54Thank you so much.
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