Directed by Pulkit, Maalik tells the story of an underdog who knows that some people are born into royalty and others must fight to claim the crown. The concept seemed appealing, as did the trailer, but I was deeply disappointed by the script, the plot arcs, and the lack of compelling dialogue. Rajkumar Rao, as the lead character, carries most of the work, and even with a superb group of actors, they failed to make the impact the creators would have desired. I think, to immerse yourself in an intense drama like Maalik, the world-building, attention to detail, and character research must be impeccable. You can't touch on every aspect superficially and then expect the audience to be invested in the story.
If Maalik had been released a decade or two earlier, perhaps people would have found it authentic. But since there are a plethora of films in the same genre, to stand out, you need to dig deep into the subject matter and, moreover, have something authentic to say. There's a reason why films like Goodfellas, Scarface, and Dog Day Afternoon have become cult favorites over time: they were true to their world and created something never seen before. Being from the village where Maalik is set, I had high hopes for the film, but I guess it didn't live up to expectations. That said, you should watch it and find out whether you like it or not. Let's find out how a farmer's son became the most feared criminal in Allahabad, and if the police managed to catch him in the end.
Director: Pulkit
Writers: Jyotsana Nath, Pulkit
Stars: Manushi Chhillar, Rajkummar Rao, Huma Qureshi
Deepak had the potential to succeed, but he was aware of life's cruel irony: no one gets a chance based on merit; somehow, everything always goes to the privileged. Deepak knew that although he wasn't born a king, he had what it took to rule. One day, the right-hand man of an influential figure named Shankar Singh destroyed his father's farmland. Deepak didn't know why he did it, but in a fit of rage, he went to confront him. Deepak idolized Shankar Singh, for to him, he was the personification of success. One day, he wanted to be like him, to be his own master and not be forced to live by the orders of any other man.
Shankar Singh admitted that Langda, the one who destroyed Deepak's farmland, was his man. He told him something that marked a turning point in his life: Shankar said that, hypothetically, if his father had died, he would not have gone to anyone for help, begging them to take action, but would have dealt with his nemesis alone. Deepak understood that what Shankar Singh said was not wrong. So that day, Deepak decided to change his destiny and become his own master. On that day, a helpless son, trying to get justice for his father, became the "Maalik" of the village. Deepak, who was thereafter referred to as "Maalik" by his people, killed Langda in cold blood. The entire village watched Langda being beaten to death, and realized that a new mafia leader was born that day.
Deepak, alias Maalik, ruled the city of Allahabad and its surrounding areas, and over time, his rule became problematic for the local MP, Balhar Singh. His arch-enemy, Chandrashekhar, was unhappy that all government tenders, from bridges to roads, went to Deepak. He told Balhar Singh to do something about it, but his hands were tied. Balhar Singh wanted to play it safe and didn't want the blame to fall on him if his plans failed. He also knew that Shankar Singh supported Deepak, and he needed to find a way to confront them.
What Deepak didn't know was that there was a mole in his team secretly assisting Balhar Singh and the special public prosecutor, Prabhu Das, who had been specially summoned from Lucknow to handle Deepak's case. Prabhu Das had carried out 98 extrajudicial killings, popularly known as "encounters," and Deepak was the crown jewel he wanted to add to his record. Shankar Singh, on the other hand, wanted the parties to resolve the matter among themselves and not resort to violence or bloodshed. Shankar called Balhar, Chandrashekar, and Deepak to his home, but that conversation led nowhere and actually made things difficult for Deepak.
Deepak raised his voice against Shankar, something he had not done before. He told him that he respected him and would not harm him, but that he should not expect more from him. Shankar gave Balhar and Chandrashekhar a free hand to do whatever they wanted to Deepak. Deepak was ready to kill Balhar when Badaun, his best friend and right-hand man, asked him if Balhar was really capable of attacking him or if there was another mastermind pulling the strings. Badaun intentionally made Deepak suspicious of Shankar Singh.
Deepak went to Shankar's home and killed him that same night. Badaun conspired with Prabhu Das because he was done serving Deepak and wanted to become the leader of the Allahabad mafia. Deepak's wife, Shalini, had tried to get him to surrender. Deepak was convinced and assured Shalini that he would go to trial and surrender. But before that could happen, Badaun and Prabhu Das ordered Shalini to be killed. Balhar Singh knew that Deepak would go on a rampage and would not stop until he painted the entire village red.
Deepak was convinced that Chandrashekhar had orchestrated the attack on his wife. Deepak went to Chadrashekar's hideout and killed him in cold blood. Balhar went to see Deepak to assure him that he had nothing to do with his wife's murder. But soon after Balhar reached Deepak's hideout, Prabhu Das arrived there with his men. Badaun once again tricked Deepak into believing it was Balhar who had called the police. Badaun killed Balhar, thus removing another obstacle that prevented him from claiming the symbolic throne of Allahabad. At the end of Maalik, Badaun killed Deepak's men before his very eyes, thus revealing his true intentions. He told Deepak that he would no longer be of use to him. Badaun fired a couple of bullets at him, but didn't kill him. He went outside and told Prabhu, who was there with the entire police force, that he was free to do whatever he wanted to him.
I think Prabhu knew that a wounded lion is even more dangerous, so he didn't dare bring it out of its hiding place. He set fire to the entire property and assumed Deepak, also known as Maalik, had died there (which, in retrospect, I think was the weakest plot twist that didn't seem logical to me). I didn't understand why he didn't go in to check on his body to confirm his demise. Anyway, Badaun Singh became the MP from his constituency, and SP Prabhu Das received much praise for ending the mafia.
A year later, when Prabhu Das was at home in Kolkata celebrating Durga Pooja, he saw a masked man walking towards him. There was terror in his eyes, and Prabhu Das gasped as the mask fell off, revealing the face underneath. It was Deepak. He was alive and had risen again to take revenge. We never found out how Deepak escaped that shootout or what he did in the following years. I think Deepak will kill Prabhu Das, perhaps not immediately, as he could use him as a pawn to get to Badaun. If there is a sequel, we will surely witness the rivalry between Badaun and Deepak, but it won't be easy for the latter to get the better of him, as the system belonged to him and the odds had turned in his favor.
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