As the release of ‘Maalik’ draws near, comparisons with films like ‘Animal,’ ‘ Pushpa ,’ and even ‘ Khalnayak ’ have begun to surface especially around the portrayal of violence and morally grey protagonists. In a chat with Bollywood Bubble, Rajkummar addressed the growing chatter about whether ‘Maalik’ glorifies violence in the same vein as its cinematic predecessors.





“This is the world of a gangster”The actor was asked if Maalik also promotes violence and denied promoting brutality, the actor exclusively told Bollywood Bubble, “I think it’s meant for entertainment, nothing else. It’s a piece of cinema. As I said earlier, it’s meant to be watched, enjoyed, and experienced. That’s about it. We’re not here to glorify anything. We’re just telling a story.”





He also emphasized that ‘Maalik’ is not about endorsing brutality but about portraying the psychological and emotional cost of power. He acknowledged that while the film is intense and action-packed, it’s plant in character-driven storytelling.





The Animal and Pushpa effectWith ‘Animal’ and ‘Pushpa’ setting new benchmarks for violence in a stylish manner and anti-hero narratives, ‘Maalik’ inevitably enters the same conversation. But Rajkummar is clear: Maalik may share genre DNA, but it’s not a clone.

“Every story has its own soul. We’re not trying to replicate anyone. We’re telling a story that’s raw, real, and rooted in its own world,” he said.





Beyond the bloodshedCo-star Manushi Chhillar, who has a key part in the film, said that 'Maalik’ looks into who has power, heart pain, and the price of big dreams. She talked about the hard parts of playing a less-glam role and why tales from small towns hold more deep feelings.





The bigger pictureMade by Pulkit, 'Maalik' takes place in 1988 Allahabad. It shows how a small hustler grows to be a big, scary gangster. The movie stars Prosenjit Chatterjee, Saurabh Shukla, and Huma Qureshi - who shows up in a special role. It aims to give a tough, deep story that dives into hard choices.





'Maalik' comes to big screens on July 11, 2025.