Old wine, new swag, with a fiery Rajkummar Rao works in parts

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. Think of him in this film as a long-lost sibling of his own “badass babua” Pritam Vidrohi from Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017).

- Rishabh Suri

Now, we come to Maalik. The story treads a well-worn path. It follows a common man in 1990s Allahabad who rises after being wronged, gains power, and eventually faces a downfall. It’s the kind of gangster drama journey that Bollywood has explored countless times. While there's nothing new in the plot, the story's treatment keeps things engaging. The first half, especially, stands out with its energy and does a good job of pulling you into Maalik’s world.