Director - Krish Jagarlamudi, A M Jyothi Krishna
Cast - Pawan Kalyan, Bobby Deol, Nidhhi Agerwal, Ayyappa P. Sharma, Nora Fatehi, Sathyaraj, Vikramjeet Virk, Dalip Tahil, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Sachin Khedekar, Raghu Babu, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Sunil, Kabir Duhan Singh, Nassar, Subbaraju, Makarand Deshpande 
Duration - 2h43m
 
After years of delays, creative reshuffling, and fan speculation, Hari Hara Veera Mallu finally storms onto the big screen. Starring power-packed performer Pawan Kalyan and helmed first by Krish Jagarlamudi and later A.M. Jyothi Krishna, this period action drama is set in the 17th century against the backdrop of Mughal India. With a tagline that screams grandeur and rebellion, the film arrives with high expectations, only to deliver a curious mix of fire and fizzle.
 
The story follows Veera Mallu (Pawan Kalyan), a rogue outlaw turned reluctant hero, who steals from India’s foreign invaders and redistributes the loot to the needy. When a mission goes wrong and he’s caught by the king of Golconda, he’s offered a deal to steal the legendary Koh-i-Noor diamond from Mughal emperor Aurangzeb (played with menacing flair by Bobby Deol). This kicks off a tale filled with betrayals, flashbacks, palace intrigue, and of course, sword-swinging action.
 
The first half of the film is undeniably the stronger segment. From the introduction of young Veera to his swashbuckling escapades through bazaars, jungles, and majestic forts, it’s a vibrant blend of spectacle and swagger. Pawan Kalyan looks engaged and energetic, especially during the high-voltage action set pieces. There's a tiger-goat confrontation that will have fans cheering and questioning animal logistics all at once. Nidhhi Agerwal, as Panchami, brings grace and some emotional balance to the testosterone-fueled mayhem.
 
However, once the film enters the second half, things begin to unravel faster than Aurangzeb’s patience. The most glaring issue is the over-reliance on green screen and poor-quality visual effects. Sequences that are clearly meant to be emotionally stirring—like the rain ritual or the final confrontation—suffer due to unconvincing CGI that looks more like a budget video game cutscene than a big-screen production. The tone shifts from historical drama to unintentional fantasy farce, breaking immersion and emotional momentum.
 
The inconsistency in Pawan Kalyan’s appearance throughout the film also creates a distracting visual mismatch. His look changes so frequently—from clean-shaven to bearded to somewhere in between—it’s as if Veera Mallu was time-traveling during lunch breaks. These continuity errors, along with some clunky editing, detract from the otherwise intense storyline. It's apparent that his political commitments likely limited his availability, affecting cohesion in the performance and production.
 
Despite these flaws, there are some redeeming elements. The film's background score by M.M. Keeravani is nothing short of majestic. He lifts scenes that would have otherwise fallen flat, and some of the dialogue—penned by Sai Madhav Burra—carries enough weight to give the film occasional gravitas. Lines like “Dharma isn’t singing bhajans, it’s standing up and fighting” give Veera Mallu a mythic dimension, even if the screenplay struggles to fully support it.
 
Bobby Deol, though limited in screen time, chews up every scene as Aurangzeb with brooding intensity. His presence injects some needed tension, although the writing doesn’t give him much beyond generic villainy. The supporting cast, including industry veterans like Kota Srinivasa Rao and Sathyaraj, appear in fleeting moments that deserved more narrative depth and significance.
 
In the end, Hari Hara Veera Mallu is a film of what-ifs and what-could-have-beens. Its first half sparkles with promise and cinematic energy, but its second half stumbles under the weight of ambition, uneven direction, and rushed execution. It’s a bold attempt at a Telugu-language period action drama with a larger-than-life hero, but one that needed more consistency and emotional investment to truly soar. While fans of Pawan Kalyan will find moments to celebrate, the film may leave general audiences wishing the sword had swung sharper—and the visuals, much cleaner.
 
Worth a watch for the loyalists and lovers of epic action, but it’s not the revolutionary cinematic storm it could have been.