Despite a powerful lead performance, the gangster drama falters amid poor reviews and stiff competition, trailing behind recent releases.
Mumbai: 12 July 2025
Rajkummar Rao’s gritty gangster flick Maalik failed to make a strong mark at the box office, opening to a modest ₹3.48 crore on Day 1. The film, directed by Pulkit and featuring Prosenjit Chatterjee and Manushi Chhillar, underperformed compared to Rao’s previous success Bhool Chuk Maaf, which opened at ₹7 crore.
Maalik also lagged behind The Diplomat, which took in ₹4 crore on its opening, but surpassed Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan (₹32 lakh), with Vikrant Massey.
Even with Rao’s praise for his performance, critics noted that Maalik was let down by weak dialogue, confusing narrative and poor pacing. NDTV gave the film 2-out-of-5 stars and characterized it as a disappointment in a promising month for releases.
The pundits now believe that the film’s fate rests on the potential word-of-mouth traction, especially with big productions planned for release the rest of July. The soft opening suggests a reluctant audience appetite for super-violent gangster dramas unless there are solid stories to support them.
Maalik is merely another point of reference to Rao’s already diverse filmography, but the challenges of Maalik are further evidence of the randomness of the box office even for actors who have been locally appreciated. The weekend numbers will be far in advance for the consideration of whether Maalik can get any traction.
