Maalik

<p>The film is set in the late 1980s in , . The narrative introduces Deepak ( ), a young man from a farming family whose life takes a violent turn. His father ( ), a farmer, is severely injured while attempting to protect his employer’s fields from encroachment. Driven by a desire for vengeance, Deepak tracks down and brutally kills the individual responsible for his father’s assault, known as “Langda.” This act initiates Deepak’s descent into the criminal underworld. Following this initial act of violence, Deepak adopts the moniker “Maalik” (Master/Owner) and begins his ruthless ascent. He systematically builds a criminal empire amidst the volatile socio-political landscape of Allahabad, navigating intricate relationships with political figures, rival gangs, and figures such as the powerful MLA, Balhar Singh (Swanand Kirkire), his mentor Shankar Singh a.k.a. Dadda ( ), and business rival Chandrashekhar ( ). Despite his increasingly violent and authoritative public persona, Maalik maintains a strong connection with his parents and his wife, Shalini ( ). Shalini frequently attempts to persuade him to abandon his criminal life, especially after she becomes pregnant. He also relies heavily on his loyal associate, Badaun ( ). As Maalik’s influence expands, so does the opposition against him. A suspended police officer, Prabhu Das ( ), is assigned the task of apprehending Maalik. The film chronicles Maalik’s constant struggle for dominance and survival against his adversaries, leading to a series of violent confrontations, betrayals, and the eventual culmination of his chosen path. On 4 July 2024, it was reported that filming would commence in September 2024, with locations set in and . To prepare for the physically demanding role, worked on building a more muscular physique. The took place on 25 August 2024 in Pathakpur village. Vikram Dahiya was roped in to design the action sequences. Rao officially announced the film with a poster on 31 August 2024, coinciding with his 40th birthday. was cast in the title role, marking his second collaboration with director Pulkit after the historical drama . was cast the female lead, replacing who was initially cast opposite Rao. Bengali actor was signed to play a police officer. The supporting cast consists of and . Additionally, was reported to make a cameo appearance. began in August 2024. The film had a continuous three-month shooting schedule, covering , , and . The first schedule begun in late August on the outskirts of Lucknow, along the Lucknow-Kanpur highway, featuring Rao and Chhillar. Filming also took place at ‘s Subhash Hostel on 25 September 2024. The two-month Lucknow schedule concluded in mid-November 2024. Some scenes were shot at the District Hospital in Unnao. The final schedule took place in , concluding with the protagonist’s wedding sequence on 14 November 2024. Rao also performed high-intensity action sequences, including weapon-based combat and . The film’s soundtrack is composed by with the lyrics written by . The background score is composed by Ketan Sodha. The first single titled “Naamumkin” was released on 10 June 2025. The second single titled “Dil Thaam Ke” was released on 20 June 2025. The third single titled “Raaj Karega Maalik”<br /> was released on 4 July 2025. A pre-release event was held on 7 July 2025 at in . was released on 11 July 2025. The film earned 4.02 crores on the opening day, much lower than Rao’s previous release of the year, , which had earned 7 crores on its opening day. It managed to collect 20 crores by the end of 4 days. The film received mixed reviews from critics. On the website , 23% of 13 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.7/10. of gave 4 out of 5 stars and said that “Pulkit doesn’t put too much stress on the theme of social inequality. He just wants to tell a punitive story that keeps us on the edge of the seat. In that, Maalik scores brainy and brawny points.” gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5, and while feeling the narrative was tried-and-tested, praised the performances. gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, praising the action sequences, direction, storyline and Rao’s performance while finding the film overlong and Chatterjee’s part poorly written. Devesh Sharma of rated 3/5 stars and said that “Maalik is Rajkummar Rao’s Satya and Vaastav. He’s at his visceral best in this gangster drama.” Rishabh Suri of rated 3/5 stars and writes that “Despite its flaws, Maalik stands tall, much like its hero, punching above its weight thanks to Rajkummar Rao’s fiery energy.” gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, praising the direction and performances while finding the story clichéd and evoking a sense of due to its similarities with other gangster films and the as well as the television series of gave 1.5 stars out of 5 and said that “A new gangster drama with old beats is not the break-out that Rao must have been hoping for.” Anuj Kumar of commented that “A typical gangster story born out of class struggle in the Hindi heartland, the film is less than the sum of its parts.” Dhaval Roy of gave the film 2/5 stars and argued that it was a clichéd and uninspired gangster drama with a weak, tedious plot despite solid performances and good technical work, offering little originality and that “can be skipped.” of awarded 2 stars out of 5 and said that “Maalik is just unpleasant, not even slightly engaging.” Shreyas Pande of rated 1.5/5 stars and commented that “the film is content with just presenting Rajkummar in a templated gangster story.” Sana Farzeen of gave 2 out of 5 stars and observed that “Despite strong performances, the film struggles with clichéd storytelling and emotional disconnect.” Rahul Desai of said that “‘Maalik’ lacks both single-screen soul and multiplex gloss.”</p>