Maalik Makes a Killing: Rajkummar Rao’s Gangster Flick Steals the Spotlight (and the Box Office)

Key highlights

 

Rajkummar Rao's gritty gangster drama 'Maalik' is still exceeding expectations, coasting well past Vikrant Massey's 'Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan' at the box office after nine days. In spite of tough competition and new releases, 'Maalik' remains firm in the people's hearts due in great measure to Rao's much-praised acting and the movie's dark, 1980s Allahabad milieu.

 

Nine-Day Collection Snapshot

 

Maalik' has collected a whopping 22.04 crore in domestic collections by Day 9, as per industry trackers, even as the opening weekend momentum moderated in the second week. The film's opening week concluded at about 21.2 crore, with Friday (Day 1) contributing 3.75 crore, and Saturday and Sunday each earning strong 5.25 crore. Collections slowed on weekdays but remained above 1 crore till Thursday, before easing to 0.73 crore on Day 8, and an early estimate of 0.11 crore on the ninth day, Saturday morning—expected to increase as evening and night show numbers are counted.

 

Occupancy-wise, though metros Mumbai and Bengaluru saw dips (below 12%), cities including Lucknow and Jaipur had relatively better attendance, reflecting the film's steady regional draw.

 

‘Maalik’ faces screen space and buzz challenges as new releases enter the fray, but trade analysis suggests the film could still join the 30 crore club if weekend upticks materialize and positive word-of-mouth persists.

 

Making its Mark

 

Helmed by Pulkit and produced by Tips Films and Northern Lights Films, 'Maalik' is notable for its biting social commentary infused in a traditional power tussle tale. Rajkummar Rao's act is touted as one of his finest, bringing heft even as the movie goes through divided critical opinion and the danger of losing screens to newer entrants.

 

Box office experts note that ‘Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan’, despite starring Vikrant Massey, has not matched ‘Maalik’ in momentum or collections, with the latter clearly outshining its box office peers so far.

 

Looking Ahead

 

This weekend is important: a good audience reaction can continue to solidify 'Maalik's' position as a box office best, or the film might start to close with a decent, if not blockbuster, total.

 

Sources: IWMBuzz, Times of India, Bollywood Hungama