Maalik, starring Rajkummar Rao, explores themes centred around crime, politics, and revenge in 1980s Allahabad.
Photo Credit: Amazon Prime Video
Maalik OTT Release: The intense gangster drama stars Rajkummar Rao in the lead role
Maalik's teaser delivered us an interesting story that gave us a taste of action, betrayal and power play. Set in 1980s Allahabad, the narrative follows Deepak's transformation from the meek son of a farmer into an intimidating gangster, and unfurls against the backdrop of political betrayal and manipulation. Cursed by vengeance, he finds himself caught up in a world of corrupt politicians and ruthless encounter specialists. Woven into the pacing and gritty action and fully realised characters is a painful assessment of loyalty, survival, and revenge.
The movie was released in theatres on July 11, 2025, and will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video on September 5, 2025. However, viewers will require a subscription to the streaming service to watch it.
The teaser of Maalik gave us a promising plot which had an equal dose of action, back-stabbing and power play. Set in 1980s Allahabad, Deepak's transformation from a simple farmer's boy to a dreaded don is set against a political betrayal. With the revenge to burn, he moves into the dirty world of politics. Built with a sense of perfect action, a good sense of pace, and well-drawn characters, it is a heartfelt story that explores survival, loyalty, and retribution.
The cast is headlined by Rajkummar Rao in the flaming part of Deepak, with Prosenjit Chatterjee playing the encounter specialist and Manushi Chhillar as Deepak's wife. Seasoned actors such as Saurabh Shukla and Swanand Kirkire lend some heft to the ensemble.
Directed by Pulkit, the film is co-written by him and Jyotsana Nath. The film is produced by Kumar Taurani and Jay Shewakramani, and presented by horror expert Pramod Films. It has a nice team where the force behind the camera has been known for delivering impactful stories.
Maalik received mixed reviews on IMDb, 6.4 out of 10. The critics appreciated the intense performance of Rajkummar Rao and the candid ambience of the film, but felt that it lacked novelty and that the second half of the film was a bit longer that was not required.
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