Rajkummar Rao’s latest film, Maalik hit theaters on July 11, 2025. Set in the rough and tumble world of 1980s Allahabad, this action packed gangster drama promised a raw, intense story of ambition, power, and survival. Directed by Pulkit and produced by Kumar Taurani and Jay Shewakramani. Despite Rajkummar’s powerhouse performance, Maalik didn’t quite win over audiences the way we hoped, wrapping up its opening weekend with a modest ₹15.02 crore at the Indian box office.

Maalik kicked off with a solid ₹4.02 crore on its first day which is a step down from Rajkummar’s last film, Bhool Chuk Maaf, which raked in ₹7.2 crore on its opening day. Things picked up a bit over the weekend, with Saturday bringing in ₹5.45 crore (a nice 35% jump) thanks to stronger crowds in cities. Sunday added ₹5.55 crore, but the growth felt a bit flat, with theaters seeing just 18-20% occupancy across Hindi markets.

While Maalik was the top Hindi film of the weekend, it couldn’t keep up with Hollywood giants like Superman and Jurassic World Rebirth. With a total of ₹15.02 crore over three days, the film did okay for a Rajkummar-led project, but it didn’t have the spark to set the box office on fire. And with a reported budget of ₹50 crore, there’s some worry about whether it’ll break even.

Let’s talk about Rajkummar Rao—he’s the heart of Maalik. He nails the mix of grit and heart, making you root for a guy caught in a brutal world. But the story is where things get tricky. The predictable plot and familiar gangster tropes feels a bit dated. The dark, heavy vibe didn’t quite click with mass audiences, especially outside big cities, leaving some feeling it missed the mark for a high-energy action flick.

Maalik had to fight for attention against big releases like Superman and the underwhelming Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan (which barely scraped together ₹1 crore). The lack of pre-release excitement didn’t help—only 6,500 advance tickets were sold compared to Bhool Chuk Maaf’s 30,000.

With a stellar cast—Prosenjit Chatterjee, Manushi Chhillar, Saurabh Shukla, and Huma Qureshi—Maalik has flashes of brilliance. But it’s struggling to stand out in a crowded market and break free from the usual gangster clichés. If it can hold steady with ₹2 crore or more each weekday, it might climb to a respectable ₹30 crore lifetime haul. That’s not quite a “hit,” but it’s not a total loss either.

Rajkummar Rao proves once again why he’s one of Bollywood’s most versatile stars, carrying Maalik with his raw energy. It’s just a shame the story couldn’t keep up. Here’s hoping word-of-mouth in cities gives it a second wind—it’s a film with heart, even if it didn’t fully land the punch.