Rajkummar Rao Reveals He Did NOT Refer To Past Bollywood Gangsters For His Role In Maalik: 'It Came From Within'

The much-awaited trailer of Maalik was released by the makers on Tuesday at a grand event in Mumbai, and it was attended by actors Rajkummar Rao, Manushi Chhillar, Saurabh Shukla, Saurabh Sachdeva, and others, along with director Pulkit. At the event, the cast shed light on the world of Maalik and what went behind the making of the actioner.

Rajkummar stated that he did not refer to past Bollywood gangsters for his role in Maalik. "It all came from our imagination, from the world that Pulkit created. It was all in the writing. Parts of the inspiration came from real people we saw on television, and a lot of it came from within. So we didn't refer to any one particular actor or personality," he said.

Manushi, who will be seen in a non-glamorous role for the first time on screen with Maalik, called the film a learning experience. "I don't think Pulkit had me in mind when he wrote the character of Shalini because people have never seen me in this de-glam avatar. Luckily, I got the opportunity to test, and got the part," she gushed.

Opening up on her experience of working in Maalik, the actress shared, "The world of Maalik was very real because we shot in real location, met the people over there, and when you do that, you understand a lot about your character internally as well, which helps you make the role more nuanced. When you're on a set where everyone comes prepped to play their characters, which come with a lot of layers, automatically you imbibe some of those qualities in your work as well, which is how I got to learn a lot."

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"As much of a surprise it is for you to see me in this role, it was equally surprising and new for me as well. As an actor, you want to do different things and get more opportunities, and this was one such opportunity. I am very grateful I got it," she added.

Veteran Bengali actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, who will be seen in a Hindi feature film after several years, stated that it was his character which drew him towards the script. "I've tried a lot of characters in my career, and I am open to doing a project in any language as long as I like the character that has been offered. My character in Maalik is not just for the national audience but for my Bengali audience as well. They'll see me doing something very different with this film. I took the character as a challenge, and I really enjoyed playing it," he quipped.

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Rajkummar Rao, who delivered the biggest hit of 2024, Stree 2, which grossed over Rs 600 crore in India alone, hoped that the audience would give him similar love and adulation for Maalik. "It's not only I who pulls the audience in theatres, it's the film that does it. I cannot claim that I pulled the audience to theatres; we don't live in those times anymore. I'm just fortunate that I get to be part of such films. I'm a very impulsive actor, so I have a lot to give to cinema. And the audience can see if an actor has been sincere with his work in a project; only then do they watch it," he explained.

"Maalik is a new space for me as well, as I have never done such a role before. I hope people watch Maalik and feel that they have watched something different when they leave the theatres," he concluded.

Maalik will release in theatres on July 11, 2025.