‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’ Storms Box Office with Massive Opening Day

Hyderabad: After a prolonged wait, actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan has made a triumphant return to the silver screen with Hari Hara Veera Mallu, which opened to a thunderous response across domestic and international markets. Directed by Krish Jagarlamudi and Jyothi Krishna, the historical action drama is set to become the biggest opener of Kalyan’s career. The film, which was in production for over five years due to Kalyan’s political commitments, has clocked in a staggering ₹30 crore in advance bookings across all languages in India for its opening day, including paid premieres. According to trade tracker Sacnilk, this places Hari Hara Veera Mallu as the second-highest Telugu film in pre-sales, only behind Pushpa 2: The Rule. Internationally, the film is performing exceptionally well, grossing over ₹15 crore in advance bookings from overseas territories alone. In North America, more than 18,000 tickets were sold for premiere shows, resulting in a gross of around ₹4.5 crore. Altogether, the film has raked in ₹45 crore in bookings worldwide ahead of its release day, with trade analysts predicting a phenomenal ₹70 crore opening globally. In India, it is expected to surpass the ₹40 crore mark, which would break the opening day record previously set by Vakeel Saab. Hari Hara Veera Mallu stars Pawan Kalyan in a swashbuckling avatar as a heroic rebel on a quest to seize the famed Koh-i-Noor diamond, crossing paths with Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, portrayed by Bobby Deol. The film also features an ensemble cast including Nargis Fakhri, Nora Fatehi, Nidhhi Agerwal, and Sathyaraj. The high-budget period actioner has not only stirred anticipation among fans but also captured the attention of the wider film trade for its potential to redefine box office benchmarks for Telugu cinema in 2025. While the initial response has been explosive, the film’s long-term success will depend on audience reception and word-of-mouth in the coming days.