Movie Name: Maalik
Rating: 2/5
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Manushi Chhillar, Anshumaan Pushkar, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Huma Qureshi, Swanand Kirkire, and others
Director: Pulkit
Produced By: Kumar Taurani and Jay Shewakramani
Release Date: 11th July 2025
After a not-so-good result with Bhool Chuk Maaf, Rajkummar Rao has come up with Maalik, a gangster action-thriller in theatres. This film is all about the story of a man’s ambition, strength, and survival set in Allahabad in 1988.
Story:
In the rough streets of late ’80s Allahabad (now called Prayagraj, but pronounced Illahabad in the movie), ‘Maalik’ follows Deepak’s (Rajkummar Rao) tough and unstoppable journey from being a farmer’s kid to becoming an underworld boss.
Performances:
Rajkummar Rao gives one of his most natural performances yet. Although the film and script lack character depth, he injects intensity into each scene. Anshumaan Pushkar is good.
Prosenjit Chatterjee begins strong as the tough cop, but quickly falls into clichés. Manushi Chhillar’s talent feels wasted on this insignificant character.
The role of Saurabh Shukla remains underexploited, featuring prominently in only a handful of scenes, whereas Saurabh Sachdeva and Swanand Kirkire do not have much scope to excel.
Analysis:
Maalik takes us back to late 80s Allahabad, following Deepak’s journey from a farmer’s kid to a powerful don. This flick throws together politics, law, and violence, yet it feels so predictable and overdone.
Director Pulkit has a smooth style, but the story gets bogged down in clichés. The technical elements shine, but the writing needs to be clearer.
You won’t fully understand how Deepak transforms into Maalik because the movie just tells you about his journey rather than illustrating it.
The way Maalik interacts with his wife, parents, and rivals feels super predictable and dull; nothing really stands out.
The first few episodes grab your attention, but then the storytelling gets a bit dull until it picks up again with the mid-season episode.
The second half loses its pace and starts to feel repetitive, with every other scene showing the Hero getting attacked.
Those final 20-30 minutes stretch out way too long, and the violence just feels empty, like bullets are flying for no reason.
Positives:
- Rajkummar Rao’s Performance
- Background Music
- Interval episode
Negatives:
- Outdated Plot
- Not So Striking Hero Characterization
- Weak Villains
- Action Sequences do not have the intended effect
Maalik Movie Review and Verdict:
Maalik is an outdated gangster drama. Even though Rajkumar Rao gives a great performance and there are some thrilling parts, the rest of it is just too boring and falls flat.
