Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 11: Pulkit’s Maalik aspires to be a gritty crime saga, but ends up as an overlong, overfamiliar, and ultimately hollow drama that treads on well-worn paths without offering anything new. Headlined by Rajkummar Rao, the film follows a familiar narrative: a disillusioned youth turns gangster to seize power, wielding violence as his only currency.

The protagonist, Deepak—an Allahabad University student from the late '80s—embraces brutality after a personal humiliation. His descent into the criminal underworld is marked by bloodshed, including a grim initiation where he kills a man with a shovel. What follows is a relentless showcase of gore, intimidation, and revenge, but without much introspection.

Despite Rao’s full-throttle performance, the character lacks psychological complexity. He is presented as a one-dimensional anti-hero, glorified by the script, even as he commits horrendous acts—including forcing a policeman to lick his spit before killing him. Instead of exploring the caste or social tensions that may have shaped Deepak's rage, Maalik avoids nuance and dwells on stylised violence.

The supporting characters—Prosenjit Chatterjee as the encounter cop, Saurabh Shukla as the mentor, and Swanand Kirkire as the craven MLA—are all written as exaggerated stereotypes. None break the mould or challenge the script’s simplistic morality.

Manushi Chhillar as Deepak’s wife and Anshuman Pushkar as his friend plead with him to return to sanity, but their voices drown in the chaos. Even Deepak’s father, played by Rajendra Gupta, adds little emotional weight to the proceedings.

The film’s biggest flaw is its refusal to question the ethics of its hero’s actions. Instead, it amplifies them with high-octane action, stylised violence, and meandering dialogue-heavy confrontations that undercut dramatic tension. Maalik tries to deliver grand spectacle, but without the emotional or political underpinnings to justify it.

Pulkit’s direction follows genre rules so rigidly that there’s no room for originality or surprise. The confrontations between the police and gangsters are predictable, and the shootouts offer more noise than impact.

With a capable ensemble and a potentially powerful premise, Maalik could have been a commentary on ambition, power, and social injustice. Instead, it glorifies a vigilante criminal in a world where morality is blurred, but never examined.

Maalik is not the lord of compelling storytelling—it’s just another footnote in a genre that’s crying out for reinvention.