RIFLE RANGE BOY: Whatever rocks your boat!

Kannappa (Telegu; 2025)

Director: Mukesh Kumar Singh

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5306972/

The story of Kannapan, the tribal hunter, fundamentally shaped my understanding of spirituality from a tender age. I first heard this tale around the age of 13 or 14, when my parents insisted that my sisters and I should dedicate an hour or so on Saturday evenings to religious classes (satsangh) organised by their friend. The highlight of the satsangh was, of course, the stories told by the organiser, RG, in the most dramatic and humorous manner.

The other parts were the chance to lead singing and the opportunity to play the small cymbals (jalra) during devotional songs.

Kannappa's story opened my eyes (and naive mind) to two important aspects of Hinduism.

In the version I heard, a tribal hunter, Kannappa, was so eager to worship Lord Shiva after witnessing a Brahmin priest perform his daily routine. When the hunter inquired about the proper way to pray, the holy man shooed him away. The hunter, after observing what the priest was doing, did what he understood. He fashioned a stone to resemble a linga, lit a light with pork lard, placed some wildflowers, and scooped water from a nearby lake with his mouth! The eye on the linga started bleeding, and Kannappa enucleated his own eye to replace it. Then another linga eye began bleeding. Kannappa put his foot on his linga to mark its position before removing his second eye. The Brahmin priest, upon seeing what he thought was blasphemous, caused a big fuss. Lord Shiva took notice, manifested and praised Kannappa for his devotion. His eyes were restored. Lord Shiva further honoured Kannappa by granting him liberation.

RG's story taught me that one need not display piety openly. True devotion is inward. One does not have to practise vegetarianism to earn His grace, nor wear a specific tunic to receive His blessings. All that is needed is sincerity and pure thoughts. It is the middlemen who pretend to know the protocols, itineraries, decorum and laws set out by God himself.

The other thing I could not understand is why God enjoys putting His devotees through tests. The impression I have of Him is that He is narcissistic. He longs for unquestioned loyalty. The impression that the intermediaries seem to give is that our reason for existence is to keep Him happy. His wrath knows no limits. It is important to remember that these stories were created during the Bhakti movement, when it was believed that to attain salvation, one must be devoted to God.

Kannappa's story in this movie is only told towards the tail end of the film. The lion's share of the movie focuses on boosting box-office takings, such as showcasing how skilled a sorcerer Kannappa is, his love interest, and the various costumes in which she is scantily dressed to emphasise her body contours.