Actor Pawan Kalyan’s comeback film Hari Hara Veera Mallu Part 1: Sword Vs Spirit, a period action drama, opened to mixed reviews on Thursday.

While many fans gave a thumbs down to the Krish Jagarlamudi and A.M. Jyothi Krishna-directed entertainer, some praised Pawan Kalyan for his performance.

But the trolls clearly outnumbered those giving positive feedback.

“Babai giving warning to Aurangazeb. Truly a comedy scene,” a fan wrote on X.

“First half ke walkouts entra (First half walk-offs),” tweeted another fan in Telugu.

Calling the film ‘disappointing’, an X user wrote, “A poorly written and executed second half that completely fails after a strong and promising first half.”

“Keeravani’s music is the soul. But even a soul can’t save a sinking ship,” a fan page of filmmaker Ayan Mukerji wrote on X.

“Hari Hara Veera Mallu’s interval brings the heat, but the first half’s slow serial vibes & big action miss the mark,” quipped another X user.

However, some X users expressed admiration for Pawan Kalyan upon his big-screen comeback. “It felt like watching our grandparents' stories come alive,” tweeted a fan.

Lauding an action sequence in the film, another fan wrote, “Kusthi Fight will stand as One of Best Action sequence in telugu. (sic)”

Directed and written by Krish Jagarlamudi, Hari Hara Veera Mallu Part 1: Sword Vs Spirit features Bobby Deol, Nidhi Agerwal, Nora Fatehi, Vikramjeet Virk, Nargis Fakhri, Jisshu Sengupta, Dalip Tahil, and Sachin Khedekar in pivotal roles.

Oscar-winning composer M.M. Keeravani has composed the music for the film, while Ben Lock — known for his work on blockbuster films like Aquaman, Warcraft, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens — has worked on the visual effects.

Hari Hara Veera Mallu Part 1: Sword Vs Spirit is presented by A.M. Rathnam and backed by Mega Surya Production.