After a historic opening at the box office, when it made Rs 34.75 crore on its first day, Pawan Kalyan’s much-anticipated period action film Hari Hara Veera Mallu witnessed a steep decline in collections on Friday. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the film earned only Rs 8 crore net on Day 2, a sharp drop of 77%, bringing its total domestic earnings to Rs 55.50crore.
The Telugu-language film saw an overall occupancy of 24.42% across its second day, starting with 17.75% in the morning shows, improving slightly to 20.17% in the afternoon, 27.21% in the evening, and peaking at 32.53% during the night shows. Among regions, Mahbubnagar recorded the highest occupancy at 45.25%, followed by Warangal (31.50%) and Hyderabad (28.75%). Though released in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada, the film had limited screenings in these languages, with the bulk of its performance driven by the Telugu market.
Set in 1684, the historical epic reportedly cost Rs 300 crore to make and was in production for several years. While the opening numbers created buzz, the second-day crash has been disappointing for fans and trade analysts alike. However, this isn’t a new trend for Pawan Kalyan’s recent releases. In 2023, Bro opened at Rs 30 crore but concluded its domestic run at Rs 83 crore. His 2022 release Bheemla Nayak opened at Rs 37.15 crore, finishing with Rs 112 crore, while 2021’s Vakeel Saab started at Rs 40 crore and ended with Rs 109 crore in India.
Expectations were high for Hari Hara Veera Mallu, which also stars Bobby Deol, especially since the Telugu film industry has been awaiting a major box office success since Pushpa 2 in 2024. Another big-budget Telugu release of the year, Shankar’s Game Changer, starring Ram Charan, was also a colossal failure, as it managed to earn Rs 131.17 crore However, it posted a stronger performance than Hari Hara Veera Mallu in its first two days, collecting Rs 72.6 crore.
The film has also faced criticism for its content. Both audiences and critics have panned it, and early signs suggest little potential for growth in the coming days. Adding to the controversy, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has condemned the film, accusing it of promoting anti-Muslim sentiment through a fictionalised narrative. On release day, Pawan Kalyan had posted on social media, “The Jizya tax, a punitive levy imposed by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb on Hindus for practicing their faith, stands as a stark symbol of oppression, yet historians have long softened its brutality. Hari Hara Veera Mallu boldly unmasks this injustice, exposing the erasure of Hindu suffering and the looting of India’s wealth, like the Kohinoor’s theft. With unwavering resolve, this saga celebrates Sanatana Dharma and the courage of our unsung heroes who defied tyranny.”
