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Hari Hara Veera Mallu Part 1: Sword Vs Spirit, starring Pawan Kalyan, emerges as a disappointing cinematic venture, marred by its half-hearted execution and its transformation into a disordered mess of a historical propaganda film. The film, which follows Veera (Pawan Kalyan) as he journeys to Delhi to steal the Kohinoor diamond from Aurangzeb (Bobby Deol), immediately establishes the protagonist as a figure of superhuman abilities, capable of telepathic communication with animals and effortlessly overcoming dangers. This portrayal, however, reinforces the established pattern of big film stars being inseparable from their real-life personas on screen, a phenomenon particularly evident in Pawan Kalyan's case, where the lines between his political speeches and movie dialogues have become increasingly blurred.
The film's lengthy production period of five years coincides with significant shifts in Pawan Kalyan's political trajectory. During this time, he traversed the political spectrum, secured his first election victory, assumed the role of Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, and positioned himself as a fervent defender of Sanatana Dharma. This real-life evolution seems to have profoundly influenced the film's narrative, transforming it into a vehicle for promoting a particular ideological agenda. The directorial reins of the film were also subject to change, with Krish Jagarlamudi, known for his work on the NTR biopics and Kangana Ranaut's Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, departing midway through the project, leaving AM Jyothi Krishna, and partly Pawan Kalyan himself, to take over. This directorial transition further contributed to the film's disjointed and uneven quality.
The narrative framework of the film centers around Veera Mallu, who is introduced as an abandoned infant discovered floating down a river into an agrahara. Simultaneously, diamond miners of Kollur along the Krishna river bank are depicted as praying for a savior to liberate them from the oppression of local feudal lords. These landlords, in turn, are subservient to the Qutb Shahis, who are themselves vassals of the Mughals, portrayed as the ultimate source of the miners' suffering. Veera's origin story is deliberately left ambiguous, devoid of any specific caste or religious affiliation. However, he is raised with the explicit purpose of protecting Hindus from the perceived tyranny of Aurangzeb. This narrative construct establishes Veera as a messianic figure tasked with safeguarding a particular religious community from external oppression.
Veera's skills as a thief bring him to the attention of the Qutb Shahis, who recognize his talent for stealing diamonds mined in Kollur. He employs these stolen diamonds to finance either workers' welfare initiatives or the construction of Hindu temples. Subsequently, he is commissioned to steal the legendary Kohinoor diamond, frequently equated to the ‘syamantaka mani’ from Hindu mythology, from the Mughals' peacock throne. This plotline further reinforces the film's tendency to embellish and romanticize historical events for the sake of dramatic effect and ideological messaging.
The film's portrayal of historical events is riddled with inaccuracies and distortions. Set in the 17th century, the film disregards established historical facts in favor of promoting popular interpretations and narratives. Issues such as the jizya tax imposed on non-Muslims and Aurangzeb's ban on music are dramatized, despite the existence of conflicting or unsubstantiated evidence. This selective and biased presentation of historical information contributes to the film's overall characterization as a historical propaganda piece, undermining its credibility and artistic merit. The film relies heavily on dramatized interpretations of historical events without offering robust contextualization or scholarly accuracy. The depiction of Aurangzeb is likely to be controversial, given the director's intent to portray him as a cruel and oppressive ruler of non-muslims.
Source: Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Pawan Kalyan’s Sanatana soldier is too shoddy to be taken seriously