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Maalik

11 July 2025Hindi2h 32m
ActionCrimeDramaThriller
out of 10
Mixedlukewarm or divided
Monk Score · 11 scored reviews · 2 not rated

Rajkummar Rao commits fully, but the gangster drama around him feels well-worn.

Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.

  • Praised: Rajkummar Rao's lead performance
  • Criticised: Formulaic, predictable storytelling

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Critic consensus

What 13 critics are saying

Critical reception for Maalik leans predominantly negative, with the majority of reviewers finding it a formulaic and derivative gangster drama that treads overly familiar ground. The most consistent praise across reviews is directed at Rajkummar Rao's performance, with several critics acknowledging his committed and gritty portrayal as the film's primary redeeming quality. Common criticisms include unoriginal storytelling, predictable narrative beats, sluggish pacing, uneven editing, and an excessive runtime that compounds the film's dramatic shortcomings. A lone outlier found the film riveting and comparable to landmark crime cinema, but this view stands in sharp contrast to the broader critical consensus.

How the 11 scores spread

2 not-rated reviews aren't plotted

Positive / mixed / negative reviews

Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10

AI-generated summary of 13 critic reviews · may contain errors

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From the papers

Critic reviews (13)

Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated

  1. Top critic

    Indian Express

    Film review

    'Maalik' is too long, too dull, too by-the-numbers. The film is predictable to a fault – a new gangster drama with old beats is not the break-out that Rao must have been hoping for.

  2. News 24

    Film review

    Maalik emerges as the most riveting gangster epic since Satya, delivering a compelling narrative with strong performances and authentic storytelling that elevates it beyond typical crime dramas.

  4. Filmfare

    Film review

    Maalik is a compelling showcase for its cast, especially Rajkummar Rao, but it could have been so much more with a sharper script and tighter scissors in the editing room. The blood flows, the bullets fly, the dialogues punch, but the story, ultimately, walks a road too familiar to feel fresh.

  5. Hindustan Times

    Film review

    Guns, blood, violence, gore— don't these all already bore? Not really, when in the hands of talented actors. If there's one thing that Maalik gets right from the start, it's casting Rajkummar Rao, an unlikely action hero.

  6. IndiaTvNews

    Film review

    Maalik's powerful lead performance, realistic storyline, and evocative world-building make it stand out even though it isn't a groundbreaking movie in the gangster genre. Rajkummar Rao and Pulkit's Maalik rightly deserves 3 out of 5 stars.

  7. India Today

    Film review

    The film showcases Rajkummar Rao's gritty portrayal of an underworld don in the 80s Prayagraj. Despite strong performances, the film struggles with clichéd storytelling and emotional disconnect.

  8. Rediff

    Film review

    Maalik is just unpleasant, not even slightly engaging. A film with relentless violence cannot be entertaining, but Maalik is just unpleasant, not even slightly engaging. There is nothing in Maalik that has not been seen in films before, and Pulkit has just turned his protagonist into a despicable monster.

  11. KoiMoi

    Film review

    It's a complete surrender to unoriginality! Anyone schooled in Hindi gangsta rap could have written this script, which specializes in a complete and studied lack of inventiveness. The beginning, middle, and end are so utterly predictable that one only waits to see at which and to what extent the predictable happens.

  13. The Hindu

    Film review

    The pacing is problematic, the editing is uneven, and the narrative contrivances are left uncovered. Overall, it feels like the makers are under the impression that they are telling something novel when, perhaps, the effort should have been to hide the obvious. At 152 minutes, the picture gets pixellated, and one gets piqued.

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