Rajkummar Rao has long been one of Indian cinema’s most dependable actors. He rarely makes noise for the sake of attention, yet somehow he’s always right where he needs to be, at the emotional core of every story he chooses. With Maalik, directed by Pulkit, Rao delivers what may be one of the most diverse performances of his career.
Maalik is a gritty exploration of power, morality and personal reckoning. It is set in a world that feels uncomfortably familiar, where systems are corrupt, motives are murky and choices are rarely black and white.
Rao has made a career out of playing men on the edge, men with conscience, men with flaws, men with something to lose. In Maalik, he is both assertive and uncertain, calm yet seething underneath. What makes the performance so striking is the restraint. There are no grandstanding moments, no speeches written for applause. Instead, Rao allows the tension to simmer. He trusts the silences, the stillness, and in doing so creates a portrait that feels entirely lived-in.
In Maalik, he adds another powerful character to this already impressive list. What sets it apart is how quietly devastating it is. Rao never begs for sympathy, but you feel for his character anyway.
Maalik is more than just another addition to his list of films. It is a reminder, not that we needed one, of why Rajkummar Rao is one of the underrated actors of his generation.
(Contributed by Vivaan Shenoy)