Maalik, the gritty gangster drama featuring Rajkummar Rao and Manushi Chhillar, is walking a fine line at the box office. It kicked off with ₹3.60 crore on Friday, enjoyed a solid bump on Saturday, but struggled to maintain that momentum on Sunday, wrapping up its weekend with ₹14.10 crore. The Monday earnings of ₹2 crore brought its four-day total to ₹16.10 crore — a figure that suggests some audience interest but also points to the film’s challenges in attracting a wider crowd and keeping up its pace.
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Join Telegram ChannelWhile the trajectory isn’t completely discouraging, it’s certainly not where it needs to be. The steady collections over Saturday and Sunday indicate a limited growth potential, and a lot now depends on how the film fares on the discounted Tuesday and during the mid-week screenings. If things keep going as they are, Maalik could end its first week with around ₹21.50 crore. Whether it can stretch to ₹30 crore or more will largely rely on how audiences respond outside the major cities, and how well Saiyaara does when it hits theaters later this week.
The bigger hurdle, though, lies in the financials. With a breakeven point reportedly set between ₹42-44 crore net from India alone, and the international share unlikely to exceed ₹3 crore, Maalik has a tough road ahead. The stakes seem even higher given a financial strategy that didn’t account for a more conservative outcome — a trend we’ve seen in recent mid-budget films that lean on star power instead of strong content.
That said, Maalik does have its strengths. Rajkummar Rao’s powerful performance has been well-received, and the film has struck a chord with viewers who appreciate darker stories. However, with stiff competition on the horizon and no significant buzz to rally around, the film’s box office journey looks like it might end on a modest note.
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In a marketplace where planning and positioning are just as important as the content itself, Maalik serves as a prime example of how even a well-executed, actor-driven project can stumble if the financial aspects don’t match up with reality. Still showing in theaters, the next few days will reveal whether this slow burn evolves into an unexpected success or quietly bows out.
