Prabhas Joins Kannappa Without Fees, Making It a Career Milestone
Prabhas has taken a surprising and heartfelt step in his career by choosing to be a part of the upcoming film Kannappa without charging any fee. This unexpected gesture has created massive buzz across the film industry and among fans. In an exclusive interview, Vishnu Manchu, who plays the lead in the film and is also producing it, shared emotional details about how both Prabhas and legendary Malayalam actor Mohanlal came on board the project not for money, but out of friendship, respect, and trust.
Kannappa is Vishnu’s long-awaited dream project, one that he had written over a decade ago. To bring this high-budget mythological action drama to life, he needed major stars who could give the film the reach it deserved. While Vishnu admitted his individual market might not pull a pan-India audience, the presence of names like Prabhas and Mohanlal instantly changed the scale of the film.
Unexpected generosity from superstars makes Kannappa a film to watch
Vishnu revealed that Prabhas didn’t even ask what his role was before agreeing to be part of the film. It was a decision based purely on their personal bond and mutual respect. Despite being one of the biggest stars in Indian cinema with films like Baahubali and Salaar under his belt, Prabhas readily agreed to do the role and even refused to accept any payment. When Vishnu insisted, Prabhas jokingly threatened to “kill” him for offering money, emphasizing the friendship over formalities.
Mohanlal showed similar support. Despite having no obligation to join, he agreed immediately, purely out of his deep respect for Vishnu’s father, veteran actor Mohan Babu. In fact, Mohanlal even offered to pay for his own flight tickets to New Zealand, where large portions of the film were shot. He only asked Vishnu to arrange accommodation for himself and his team, showing a rare level of humility and commitment.
The wait is over! 🏹
Presenting the much-anticipated Teaser-2 from #Kannappa🏹 — a powerful tale of devotion, courage & sacrifice brought to life on the grand cinematic canvas.Witness the legend unfold!
🏠 Har Har Mahadev 🔱
Har Ghar Mahadev 🔥👉 Watch now:
🔗Telugu:… pic.twitter.com/oWZjYLYe4Q
— Kannappa The Movie (@kannappamovie) March 1, 2025
Vishnu spent nearly eight months in New Zealand with a team of over 800 people, working on bringing the story to life. The dedication was immense, but along the way, some sacrifices had to be made. Both Prabhas and Mohanlal had significant screen time initially, but to manage the film’s final runtime, a few minutes were trimmed from their sequences. Prabhas had been featured for over 30 minutes, but around six minutes were cut, including parts of a fight sequence. Mohanlal’s role was reduced by seven minutes, leaving him with about 15 minutes of screen time. These cuts, Vishnu said, were painful but necessary for the flow of the film.
Vishnu Manchu reveals what truly happened behind the scenes with Prabhas
Another big name in the film is Akshay Kumar, who also agreed to be part of the project. Although he is not personally close to Vishnu, he significantly reduced his usual fee to support the vision. Vishnu stressed that none of these stars were taken for granted. He was fully aware that they didn’t need to take on small or cameo roles at this stage of their careers. He made sure every character had depth and meaning so that no appearance would feel superficial.
For Prabhas, especially, Vishnu believes this role will stand out. He mentioned that Prabhas has delivered a powerful performance, one that will be remembered. While friendship played a role in bringing him on board, the execution was handled with full awareness of Prabhas’ stature as a superstar.
Conclusion:
Kannappa is not just a film; it’s a reflection of strong friendships, humility, and a shared passion for storytelling. With Prabhas choosing to act without compensation and Mohanlal showing similar generosity, the film has already created history before its release.
