Never Ending Movie Carnival
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Maalik review: fiery Rajkummar Rao steals the show
‘Maalik’ – “Maalik paida nahin hue toh kya, Maalik bann toh sakte hain” Rajkummar Rao’s fiery line at a crucial juncture in the film stabs at the power, privileges and entitlements that is imbibed in the societal hierarchy, reflecting his ambitions for authority and control. His ascent from an ordinary kisaan ka beta, Deepak to the eponymous ‘Maalik’ is etched in brutalities, bloodbath and betrayal, while the 1990’s Allahabad bleeds in the battlefield.
Maalik movie synopsis
Pulkit’s ‘Maalik’ is mounted on a standard template of any gangster drama, but it soars in its soul and scale with an intense Rao, playing the titular hero with gusto and an unmistakable hinterland swagger. “Humaare kahaani mein hero hum hain!”, his ‘Maalik’ is arrogant and confident, aware about the nasty road ahead and the sinister enemies that he has gathered in pursuit of his ‘Laal-batti waali gaadi’ ambitions.
When Maalik’s notoriety goes out of control, the enemies form a cartel – comprising his godfather, Shankar Singh aka Dadda (a brilliant Saurabh Shukla), local MLA Balhar Singh (Swanand Kirkire), Chandrasekhar (a volatile Saurabh Sachdeva), a local goon and his direct competitor at constant loggerheads and the new SP of the town, Prabhu Das (Prosenjeet Chatterjee) inducted by Balhar specifically to curb his untamed terror.
Maalik movie review
The beats are familiar here, with the often-noticed Majboor Baap vs Majboot Beta, but what makes ‘Maalik’ stand out from the routine potpourri of vengeance and violence is Pulkit’s (Bhakshak, Dedh Bigha Zameen) astute craft and a solid understanding of the terrain and technicalities constantly relying on its lead, the infinitely talented Rajkummar Rao.
Which makes me think – is there anything on earth that Rao can’t pull off? As an ode to his versatility, Rao’s departure from mushy and social rom-coms to a gangster territory brings back the memories of 2018’s ‘Omerta’ and the chilling portrayal of an anti-hero. ‘Maalik’ catapults him to few notches higher with assured degree of guts, grit and a rustic flamboyance. His expressions are unmistakable – be it moments of ecstasy or catharsis or combats. In one scene, he holds an AK-47 in one hand and an AK-56 in the other, and seeks an opinion – which one is better? Rao’s swag is one of those weapons which makes the narrative consistently engaging.
The surrounding elements work in tandem to make it a consistently soaring cinematic experience – the brilliantly written dialogues, the typical UP wala raw dialect and a riveting background score to uplift the high-octane kinetics.
There is a certain synergy evident in Pulkit and Rao’s chemistry – they had collaborated earlier in the historical Bose (2019). In ‘Maalik’, we see a robust and elevating interplay of the surround actors – Anshumaan Pushkar, as Badauna, delivers an intense and layered performance, Prosenjeet, the actor on the trajectory of renewal and rediscovery, is solid in the confrontations and chases – I wish the writers had adorned his part with more complexities.
That’s an opportunity missed while exploiting his terrific talent. In the female-starved plot, a token presence served by Manushi Chiilar as Maalik’s wife, feels like a calming whiff of air – the ‘Namumkin’ track adds romantic impetus to its high-voltage orgy and vigor.
I go with 3.5 stars out of 5 for Maalik.
The 2.5-hour film is produced by Tips Industries in association with Northern Light Films and is distributed by Pen Marudhar, ‘Maalik’ is running in theatres from 11th July 2025
Ahwaan Padhee, is an IT Techie/Business Consultant by profession and a film critic/cinephile by passion, is also associated with Radio Playback as well, loves writing and conducting movie quizzes. More By Ahwaan Padhee