Despite a strong opening, period drama witnesses over 70% drop as lukewarm reviews impact collections.
Pawan Kalyan's much-anticipated period action drama "Hari Hara Veera Mallu" experienced a dramatic fall at the box office on its second day, raising concerns about the film's commercial prospects despite achieving one of the highest openings in the Power Star's career.
The film, which opened with an impressive ₹34.75 crore on its debut day, witnessed a brutal drop of over 70% on Friday, collecting only ₹7.77 crore according to trade tracking site Sacnilk. Some reports suggest the collections could be as low as ₹9-10 crore, indicating a fall of up to 77%.
This steep decline has pushed the film's total two-day collection to approximately ₹55-57 crore, crossing the ₹50 crore milestone but falling short of sustaining the momentum from its record-breaking opening.
The significant drop can be attributed to lukewarm reviews from both critics and audiences. Friday's occupancy rates reflected the tepid response, with morning shows recording just 17.75%, afternoon shows at 20.17%, and evening shows reaching 27.21% - an overall Telugu occupancy of 21.71%.
Trade analysts note that while massive openings often lead to substantial drops on subsequent days, the decline for "Hari Hara Veera Mallu" exceeded industry expectations, particularly given Pawan Kalyan's strong fan following and political stature as Andhra Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister.
The film has also faced boycott calls on social media platforms, prompting Pawan Kalyan to address his fans directly during a success meet in Hyderabad. "Don't be so sensitive," he urged supporters, encouraging them to remain strong against negative commentary while enjoying life freely.
Directed by Krish Jagarlamudi and A.M. Jyothi Krishna, "Hari Hara Veera Mallu" has been in production for over half a decade. The Telugu-language period adventure stars Pawan Kalyan as the titular outlaw Veera Mallu, alongside Bobby Deol and Nidhhi Agerwal in key roles. The narrative follows Veera Mallu's confrontation with Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in his quest for the legendary Koh-i-Noor diamond.
Industry experts emphasize that the upcoming weekend will be crucial for the film's recovery. For a respectable box office verdict, the film needs to generate at least ₹20 crore on Saturday and ₹22-25 crore on Sunday. Without such a turnaround, "Hari Hara Veera Mallu" risks joining the list of disappointing releases despite its star power.
The film's performance mirrors recent trends in Telugu cinema, where even star-driven projects have struggled to maintain consistent box office performance. Ram Charan's "Game Changer," which opened with ₹51 crore, similarly witnessed a 57% drop on its second day and eventually became a commercial failure.
As "Hari Hara Veera Mallu" enters its crucial weekend phase, all eyes remain on whether Pawan Kalyan's dedicated fanbase and the film's production values can help reverse its declining trajectory and salvage what began as a promising theatrical run.
