Watched 'Kannappa' yet? Here's the true story behind Shiva's devotee
What's the story
The Telugu mythological film Kannappa, starring Vishnu Manchu and directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh, was released on Friday. The movie is inspired by the legend of Kannappa, a devoted follower of Lord Shiva. Apart from Manchu, it features Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar and South Indian legends Mohanlal and Prabhas in special cameo roles.
Legend
Who was Kannappa?
Kannappa, also known as Thinna, was born into a hunter family from the Chenchu tribe in present-day Andhra Pradesh. His devotion to Shiva began when he discovered a Vayu Linga in Srikalahasti while hunting and felt a connection to it. Despite not knowing how to worship it properly, Kannappa offered water by carrying it in his mouth and meat from his hunts to the lord. Shiva accepted these offerings due to their raw devotion and sincerity.
Sacrifice
What happened next?
One day, Thinna saw that the Shiva Linga was bleeding from one of its eyes. Fully devoted, he plucked out his eye and placed it on the Linga to stop it from bleeding. When the second eye began to bleed, he was ready to give his other eye too. But just then, Lord Shiva appeared before him and restored his eyesight while granting him moksha (liberation). Since then, Thinna became one of Shiva's Nayanmars and was called Kannappa.
Film
About the film and its cast
The Vayu Linga is now worshiped at the Srikalahasteeswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh. The Kannappa film is a tribute to this timeless legend of Shiva's selfless devotee. It features an ensemble cast including Mohan Babu, R Sarathkumar, Arpit Ranka, and Brahmanandam. The film has a UA 13+ rating from CBFC and runs for over three hours.