Telugu star Pawan Kalyan’s historical epic, Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 1, hasn’t had the opening fans of the star were hoping for. The film, released on Thursday, earned ₹9.25 crore on Saturday, bringing the total to ₹64.75 crore.
According to Sacnilk, the film opened to ₹34.75 crore on Thursday, after minting ₹12.75 crore from preview shows on Wednesday. However, due to unfavourable reviews and calls for a boycott due to a political controversy, the film saw a 76.98 per cent drop in collections on Friday, earning only ₹8 crores. Trade reports suggest that Sunday (July 27) wouldn’t be much different either.
Directed by Jyothi Krishna and Krish Jagarlamudi, the historical action drama revolves around the titular character, Veera Mallu, a rebellious outlaw. Bobby Deol essays the role of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the antagonist in the movie. Niddhi Agerwal is the female lead.
Anupam Kher, Jisshu Sengupta, Nargis Fakhri, M Nassar, Sunil, Raghu Babu, Subbaraju and Nora Fatehi are the other actors in the movie. The film features music by Oscar-winning composer MM Keeravani, with Manoj Paramahamsa serving as the cinematographer. Veteran Thota Tharani is the art director of the movie.
Hari Hara Veera Mallu is produced by AM Rathnam under his Mega Sura Production banner.
The Hindu’s review of the film reads, “The first half drags along, saved occasionally by M.M. Keeravani’s music. While the story feels patchy, a couple of action scenes show Veera Mallu’s knack for stealing diamonds and standing up for the oppressed. A wrestling sequence highlights Pawan Kalyan’s martial arts background, and his past as a stunt choreographer adds value to the 18-minute pre-climax action stretch. But everything in between feels flat.”