Entertainment

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Rajkummar Rao’s much-anticipated gangster drama Maalik debuted in Indian theatres on July 11, garnering an opening-day collection of ₹3.35 crore, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. This figure, cited by The Indian Express, stands at nearly half the earnings of Hollywood blockbuster Superman, which earned ₹7 crore on the same day .

Directed by Pulkit, Maalik brings Rajkummar Rao into the gritty world of crime for the first time. The film, set in late‑1980s Allahabad, traces an ordinary student’s transformation into a ruthless gangster after a personal affront to his farmer father. Aside from Rao, the cast includes Manushi Chhillar, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Saurabh Shukla, and Swanand Kirkire .

Despite the buzz surrounding Rao’s dark avatar, the film opened to modest Hindi occupancy of 12.86 percent on Friday. Morning shows attracted just 6.65 percent of seats, which inched up to 11–12 percent by evening, and reached 21.88 percent in select night shows. The regional responses were equally lukewarm: Chennai led with 26.67 percent occupancy, followed by Lucknow (24 percent) and Jaipur (22 percent), while major markets like Mumbai and Delhi‑NCR recorded lower figures, clocking in at approximately 13 and 14 percent respectively .

Rajkummar Rao’s earlier family drama Bhool Chuk Maaf claimed a ₹7 crore opening day, and John Abraham’s The Diplomat collected ₹4 crore—notably higher than Maalik’s debut. Even within the domestic ledger, Maalik outperformed only Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, which recorded a modest ₹32 lakh .

Further variance in reported numbers comes from differing sources. NDTV reports the opening-day collection slightly higher at ₹3.48 crore . Meanwhile, Hindustan Times claims that the film netted ₹4.04 crore on day one, citing Sacnilk data . Despite these discrepancies, the consensus remains clear: Maalik has underperformed relative to expectations.

Critics have been divided in their assessments. NDTV’s Saibal Chatterjee gave Maalik a mixed review, praising Rao’s ferocity but pointing to shallow dialogue and weak storytelling, ultimately awarding the film a 2 out of 5 rating .  Other outlets echoed this sentiment, noting that while Rao’s portrayal carried weight, the film leaned too heavily on cliched tropes and an overlong runtime .

The mid‑week box office landscape paints a challenging picture for Maalik. It contends not only with heavyweight Hollywood releases like Superman and Jurassic World: Rebirth—the latter earning ₹3 crore on Friday and crossing ₹58 crore cumulatively—but also with domestic competition from titles like Metro… In Dino, which pulled in ₹2.25 crore on its second Friday to reach ₹29.1 crore total.

With a reported production budget of ₹54 crore, Maalik needs strong weekend performance and positive word-of-mouth to close the gap toward profitability. So far, the opening-day figures have fallen short of trade and creative expectations.

For Rajkummar Rao and director Pulkit, the film represents a pivot toward more brutal, character-driven storytelling. Yet, early reviews indicate that without a more nuanced narrative and emotional resonance, Maalik may struggle to sustain momentum. Its future performance could hinge on emerging audience sentiment and whether Rao’s intense portrayal can translate into sustained box office appeal.