Pawan Kalyan’s latest film, “Hari Hara Veera Mallu,” has opened strong at the box office with Rs 44.2 crore on its first day, despite receiving a lukewarm reception from critics and audiences.
A Grand Opening Despite Mixed Reactions
After significant delays, the much-anticipated Pawan Kalyan-starrer “Hari Hara Veera Mallu” finally hit theaters this Thursday. While initial audience reactions have been largely unenthusiastic, the film has managed to secure an impressive opening at the box office.
It raked in Rs 12.7 crore from previews held on Wednesday. On its official release day, the movie added another Rs 31.5 crore, bringing its total nett domestic opening figure to Rs 44.2 crore, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.
Inside the Box Office Numbers
Despite the less-than-promising reviews, “Hari Hara Veera Mallu” saw a respectable 57 percent occupancy rate across Telugu-speaking regions on its first day. In Hyderabad, the film commanded around 1,000 shows, boasting an impressive 66 percent occupancy.
Visakhapatnam also showed strong interest with about 364 shows and 63 percent occupancy. Bengaluru, however, had fewer shows (around 560) and a lower occupancy rate of approximately 38 percent. The film also saw a limited release in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada languages.
Is This a Familiar Pattern for Pawan Kalyan?
While the opening numbers for “Hari Hara Veera Mallu” seem robust, they echo a concerning trend observed in Pawan Kalyan’s recent films. His last three releases also started strong but quickly lost momentum due to average reviews.
For instance, his 2023 film “Bro” opened at Rs 30 crore but concluded its domestic run with only Rs 83 crore. Similarly, “Bheemla Nayak” (2022) debuted with Rs 37.15 crore but finished at Rs 112 crore. “Vakeel Saab” (2021) had a Rs 40 crore opening but managed just Rs 109 crore domestically.
Given the mediocre reviews “Hari Hara Veera Mallu” has received, there’s a strong possibility its box office collections could see a dip sooner than expected, following this established pattern.
Telugu Cinema’s 2025 Performance
The Telugu film industry has been waiting for a massive hit in 2025. Shankar’s “Game Changer,” starring Ram Charan, was a high-budget film (over Rs 400 crore) but only managed Rs 131.17 crore at the box office, a rather disappointing outcome for its scale. It opened with Rs 51 crore across India.
In contrast, Venkatesh-starrer “Sankranthiki Vasthunam” performed quite well, earning Rs 186.7 crore.
A Look Back at Recent Blockbusters
The biggest success story for Telugu cinema in 2024 was undoubtedly Allu Arjun’s “Pushpa 2.” This film set records, opening at Rs 174.9 crore and accumulating an astounding Rs 1234.1 crore during its theatrical run.
While it earned Rs 341.48 crore in Telugu, “Pushpa 2” also made history at the Hindi box office, collecting over Rs 800 crore.
- “Hari Hara Veera Mallu” opened with Rs 44.2 crore despite poor reviews.
- Previous Pawan Kalyan films with similar openings saw collections drop off quickly.
- Telugu cinema is yet to see a major blockbuster in 2025.
- “Pushpa 2” (2024) remains a recent benchmark with over Rs 1200 crore earnings.
As the days unfold, it will be interesting to see if “Hari Hara Veera Mallu” can defy expectations or if it will join the list of films that started strong but faded fast.
