Pawan Kalyan’s latest action-adventure film, Hari Hara Veera Mallu, has made a strong debut at the box office, grossing close to Rs 19 crore on its opening day, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics.
A Promising Start at the Box Office
Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 1 – Sword vs Spirit, which finally hit theaters on July 24, has shown impressive early box office numbers. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the film has already collected an estimated Rs 18.68 crore.
Early trends suggest the movie could even surpass the Rs 20 crore mark, indicating strong audience interest on its release day.
Audience Turnout and Language Performance
The film recorded an overall Telugu occupancy of 54.71% on its first day. Morning shows saw an even higher turnout at 63.52%, with afternoon shows registering 45.89% occupancy.
Vijayawada emerged as the region with the highest theatre occupancy. Beyond Telugu, the film also premiered in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam, though with lower occupancy rates: 13.65% for Hindi, 11.24% for Malayalam, 10.59% for Kannada, and 9.54% for Tamil.
Eyeing a New Record for Pawan Kalyan
Hari Hara Veera Mallu is on track to become Pawan Kalyan’s biggest opener to date. His 2022 film, Bheemla Nayak, previously held this record, earning Rs 56.5 crore at the worldwide box office.
The film is navigating a competitive release environment, facing off against Bollywood’s Saiyaara and major Hollywood titles like Superman and Marvel’s The Fantastic 4: First Steps.
Critical Reception and Review Snippets
While the box office numbers are encouraging, Hari Hara Veera Mallu has received a mixed response from critics. For instance, a review from SCREEN described the film as being “soaked in artifice” and “devoid of the agency or emotional intelligence.”
The review further critiqued the movie’s “lacklustre visual effects” and a narrative that “piles on one exaggerated moment after another.” This led to the 163-minute runtime feeling “almost punishing,” with the visual palette making only a “fleeting impression.”
The Ensemble Cast and Future Plans
Directed by Krish Jagarlamudi and AM Jyothi Krishna, Hari Hara Veera Mallu features a strong supporting cast alongside Pawan Kalyan, including Bobby Deol, Nidhhi Agerwal, Nargis Fakhri, Nora Fatehi, and Sathyaraj.
The period drama is planned as a two-part series, with the second installment titled Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 2 – Battlefield, promising more of the saga to come.
- Hari Hara Veera Mallu collected an estimated Rs 18.68 crore on its opening day.
- The film recorded strong Telugu occupancy, particularly in morning shows.
- It is expected to become Pawan Kalyan’s highest-grossing opener.
- Despite box office success, critical reviews for the film have been mixed.
The strong opening suggests that audience enthusiasm for Pawan Kalyan remains high, setting the stage for an interesting run at the box office despite the critical divide.
