Actor Rajkummar Rao and filmmaker Pulkit, who previously worked on the miniseries Bose: Dead/Alive, reunite after 8 years with Maalik. The Indian audience isn’t new to gangster drama as a genre. But why does it hit differently? It comes at a time when cinephiles have been desperately looking for OG Bollywood magic to even enter the doors of a cinema hall. Acting, action, dialogue, and an incredible climax form the perfect recipe for any decent film, and Maalik ticks all the boxes.
What is the story of Maalik about?
Set in the late 80s, Rajkummar Rao plays Deepak aka Maalik, a farmer’s son from Allahabad (now Prayagraj). He wants to make it big – ‘Maalik paida toh nahi hue, ban toh sakte hain’ (I was not born a master but can surely be one). His rival Chandrasekhar, played by Saurabh Sachdeva, wants Maalik out of his way and teams up with a politician to eliminate the latter. They call in Prosenjit Chatterjee, a ruthless cop and an encounter specialist, to handle the situation. With many to challenge his throne, Maalik has to navigate his way through power, loyalty, and betrayal to become the ultimate king of the underworld.
Incredible performances
Maalik delivers right from the word go, but it`s the ensemble cast that truly takes the film to another level. A beefed-up Raj with a full-grown beard may seem like an odd choice as a typical ‘baahubali’, but man, he does justice to the role. He does not utter ultra-cheesy dialgoues or exude excessive swag to show he is in power, but rather keeps it real, courtesy of his emotional side towards his wife, played by Manushi Chhillar. The former Miss World, with her limited screen time, makes her presence count. However, scene stealers include the veterans like Prosenjit and the two Saurabhs (Sachdeva and Shukla).
Final verdict
Maalik follows the blueprint laid down by iconic projects such as Gangs of Wasseypur, Peaky Blinders, and Mirzapur, to name a few. It probably does not bring anything new to the table, but it manages to keep you hooked till the last frame. Go into this film with loads of popcorn, because 2025 has finally got its edge-of-your-seat thriller!
