Directed by Pulkit, Maalik is Rajkummar Rao's first action outing, which also stars Manushi Chhillar, Saurabh Shukla, Swanand Kirkire, and Prosenjit Chatterjee.
Pulkit’s latest venture Maalik, which sees Rajkummar Rao in a never-seen-before action avatar, opened to mixed reviews by critics. Set in the 1980s, the gangster drama explores the rise of a common man, Deepak (Rao) to Allahabad's most feared mafia kingpin Maalik, and how the city’s crime and politics shape his destiny. From what we gather by looking at the reviews on X, it looks like the film is receiving mixed-response from the audience. While some are appreciating Rao’s gritty performance, others are in awe of how convincing he looks in action sequences. However, many are disappointed with the outdated storyline, stretched runtime, and bad narration of the film, feeling Rao deserved a better start to his stint as an action hero.
#Maalik sticks to the gangster formula, but never makes you feel for its lead. Rajkummar Rao brings energy, but it often feels louder than the story itself.
From farmer’s son to feared mafia kingpin… #Maalik is a gritty ride through 1990s Allahabad, powered by Rajkummar Rao’s fiery portrayal. Story’s predictable, but Rao elevates the film to another level with his strong performance. Watch it for him.#MaalikReview@RajkummarRaopic.twitter.com/UONv3AKOGL
Seeing the public response for #Maalik , post #Stree2 success, all the last 3 films of #RajkummarRao 👎 - be it box office wise or content wise... #Pulkit ( Bhakshak fame ) is not the right director for #Maalik , the film demanded the ones who can handle gangster genre well
#Maalik is a yet another reminder that modern Hindi cinema filmmakers seem to struggle with the visual language of swag and masala filmmaking. A competent yet unexciting gangster flick.https://t.co/wC0mZPCxxX
#Maalik is like that gym guy who looks intense but can't lift emotions. Rajkummar Rao tried carrying the film on his biceps… but bhai, script hi 'dumb'-bell nikli. Action thik thaak, emotions missing, and second half kaafi stretch ho gaya. Maalik had potential, but got lost in… pic.twitter.com/rCIXF1mWE6
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