Hyderabad: Hari Hara Veera Mallu was supposed to be Pawan Kalyan’s grand comeback to cinema after years. With all the hype, massive sets, and a unique historical plot, fans expected a blockbuster. But the reality was quite the opposite. Despite a strong opening day and paid premieres pulling in nearly Rs. 50 crore, the film couldn’t maintain momentum. As of Day 6, the film has only managed Rs. 79.10 crore nett in India and is struggling to touch Rs. 100 crore.
Adding fuel to the fire, senior actor and Pawan Kalyan’s longtime co-star Prakash Raj openly slammed him and the film in a recent interview. He criticized the movie’s lack of honesty and blamed Pawan for its poor performance. “Why raise ticket prices for a film that lacks a proper story? Where is the honesty?” he asked.
Prakash Raj didn’t stop there. He said, “If Pawan had come to shoot as sincerely as he came for promotions, the movie would have released two years ago. He changed the story to fit his political ideology and delayed the project for five years. Is that not cheating the producer and the fans?”
Prakash also took a dig at Pawan’s controversial speech during the success meet, where he told fans not to stay silent and to fight back against online negativity. “Are you training your fans like an army? Do you expect them to fight your battles? People are not fools. You’re using fans to push poor content and ego-driven projects,” Prakash stated.
Hari Hara Veera Mallu is a two-part period drama starring Pawan Kalyan, Bobby Deol, Nidhhi Agerwal, and Sathyaraj. The story follows a thief hired to steal the Koh-i-Noor from Aurangzeb, set against the backdrop of resistance to Mughal rule. Initially directed by Krish Jagarlamudi, the film was later completed by Jyothi Krisna. Part two is expected to begin soon, though no official announcement has been made.
