Maalik movie review: This gangster drama is a massive misfire only saved by Rajkummar Rao's gritty performance

Directed by Pulkit, Maalik, starring Rajkummar Rao in a full-fledged action role is a dull, unexciting gangster drama that struggles to keep you invested in its runtime.  

If you think of it, gangster sagas could be such an all-encompassing genre featuring action, drama, and emotion with an underlying social commentary that not only entertains you but also compels you to think about society and systems from a different perspective. Yes, these movies usually follow a set formula, but a convincing storyline and emotionally grounded narration make some films stand out from the rest. And when you have a credible actor like Rajkummar Rao, exploring this category for the first time with Pulkit’s Maalik, you are bound to go to the theaters with high expectations.

Set in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) of the 1980s, Maalik is an out-dated gangster drama that explores the rise of Deepak (Rajkummar Rao), an underprivileged farmer’s son into a ruthless hoodlum Maalik, and how the city’s politics, corrupt systems, and loyalties converge to empower the making or marring of these bahubalis. The film opens with Prosenjit Chatterjee’s officer Prabhu Das helming an operation to eliminate Maalik outside his hideout and warning him that 'even Amitabh Bachchan cannot escape a police siege. Who do you think you are?', setting the tone of the movie straight as a massy crime thriller. There are multiple mentions of the legendary actor in conversations of the characters that subtly remind you about the location the film is set in, and how proud and possessive the city is of its most famous son, quite endearing! Anyway, coming back to the story, the themes explored in the movie were meaty, however, the makers couldn’t manage to make the most out of it or at least do justice to Rao’s caliber as an actor.

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Watch the trailer here!

The film takes its time to warm up to the audience, and when it finally does, you realise it has already crossed the halfway mark! However, the pre-interval sequence where Deepak avenges a brutal attack on his father by single-handedly killing a gang of deadly criminals was one of the rare high-points of the movie. It marks the birth of Maalik as the new ‘owner’ of the city, and had the story picked into the momentum, it could have probably marked the rise of Rao as the new action star of B-town, but alas! His action and intensity in the scene do earn your interest back into the movie, which gets lost in the slow-paced first half that is devoted to showcasing Maalik’s power, possessions, and dread in the city and introducing characters whose arcs are painfully predictable. The film completely relies on Rao’s strong shoulders until the seasoned supporting cast comprising Saurabh Shukla and Swanand Kirkire come in to play and provide some respite as shady politicians. 

The second half is action-heavy as opposed to the dramatic and emotionally charged first half. It explores the consequences of Maalik’s action and his growing greed for power where his friends turn into foes, the system that once empowered him turns against him, and a personal tragedy makes him all the more dangerous - everything on predictable lines though. All the actors do their jobs fairly well however, the biggest disappointment comes from Prosenjit Chatterjee as Das, the encounter specialist from Bengal, who is brought to eliminate Maalik. He comes across as damagingly weak, especially after setting expectations high in the opening scene. You think he would be an unbreakable cop, but the writers had other plans, rather no plans to do justice to his character. One moment he seems honest and tough, the other, we see him joining forces with the corrupt politicians. His part is underwritten and confusing, and feels like a miscast in the film. Manushi Chillar as Shalini, Rao’s wife has also done a fair job. The actor is showing signs of gradual growth, but disappoints in the emotional scenes that demanded a display of her fears and anxiety as the wife of a gangster who can be caught and brought to justice any minute.

Maalik largely disappoints, but Rao’s solid performance in a brand new action avatar is a treat to watch and the only saving grace of the film. He might not have the image or physicality of an action hero, but such is his acting prowess that he convinces you as the gangster who is completely capable of beating up all his rivals alone. He does a fine job dabbling between the massy-ness of his character and yet keeping his performance as grounded and authentic as he can. The rest is just a concoction of poorly written characters, sketchy screenplay, and confusing plotlines that struggle to keep you invested in the film. 

Maalik is playing at a theatre near you!