Vishnu Manchu's decision to entrust the direction of his passion project, "Kannappa," to Mukesh Kumar Singh, a Hindi-speaking director, has been a subject of much discussion. The film, a Telugu mythological epic based on the story of a legendary devotee of Lord Shiva, is deeply rooted in Telugu culture, making the choice of a "Bollywood filmmaker" a somewhat unconventional one. At a recent "thank you meet" held in Hyderabad to celebrate the film's successful opening, Vishnu Manchu finally revealed the reasons behind his decision.

According to Vishnu, the primary reason for choosing Mukesh Kumar Singh was the lack of willingness from Tollywood directors to work with him on the "Kannappa" script. He stated that he approached several directors in the Telugu film industry, but none of them were interested in taking on the project with him. He candidly acknowledged that the box office performance of his previous films also played a role in this reluctance.

"You (media) very well know that no director from Tollywood would be willing to work with me if I approached them with the Kannappa script," Vishnu stated. He further added, "Also, my last few films didn't perform well".

Faced with this situation, Vishnu Manchu began searching for directorial talent outside of Tollywood. He found Mukesh Kumar Singh, who had previously directed the popular TV show "Mahabharat". Impressed by Singh's handling of the Indian epic on television, Vishnu decided to place his trust in the Hindi director, despite "Kannappa" being Singh's debut feature film.

Vishnu described Mukesh Kumar Singh as a "hidden gem" and expressed his desire to bring such talent to the forefront. He felt that Singh's background and creative input matched what he envisioned for the movie. He was also impressed by Singh's vision for the film, which he said was "much bigger than what we had envisioned".

Mukesh Kumar Singh's unfamiliarity with the Telugu film industry and culture was not necessarily a disadvantage. Vishnu believed that Singh's fresh perspective and experience with epic storytelling could bring a unique dimension to "Kannappa". Singh's prior experience directing "Mahabharat" showcased his ability to handle large-scale productions and narratives centered around mythology, which aligned well with the requirements of "Kannappa".

The film has earned ₹15 crore net in India on its first two days, already becoming one of Vishnu's highest-grossing films. The movie is based on the legendary tale of Kannappa, a tribal hunter from the Chenchu tribe in Andhra Pradesh who transforms from an atheist into one of Lord Shiva's most devoted followers through pure and selfless faith. The film features cameos by Prabhas, Akshay Kumar, Mohanlal, and Kajal Aggarwal. The film also features Preity Mukhundhan, Mohan Babu, R. Sarathkumar, Arpit Ranka, Brahmanandam, Madhoo, Brahmaji, and others in pivotal roles.

While "Kannappa" was initially conceived as a standalone film, Vishnu Manchu has revealed that a young director has approached him with an idea to explore Thinnadu's early life before he became a devotee of Lord Shiva.