Maalik Teaser: Rajkummar Rao unleashes fury in violent massy avatar, netizens say 'this Animal, Pushpa hangover needs to…’

Bollywood is currently dominated by bloody, violent mass action movies like Pushpa, Animal, and KGF, with several more in the pipeline including Baaghi 3, Animal Park and more. Amidst this trend, Rajkummar Rao, who was ruling comedies and rural films, has shifted his gear with his upcoming film, Maalik, which sees him in a never-seen-before avatar. The makers on Tuesday dropped the teaser, sparking mixed responses from netizens. 

This time, Rajkummar Rao has turned lethal, showcasing his darkest and most dangerous transformation as a gangster. Set in 1988, the upcoming film introduced the actor as ‘Maalik’ unleashing brutal action sequences in underworld drama laced with cold stares, power and bloodbaths. About one-minute-twenty minutes long teaser offers a gripping world of ambition, power and survival in the unforgiving underworld. It is packed with grit and intensity. Sharing the clip on Instagram, the actor wrote, “Paida nahin hue toh kya, ban toh sakte hai!! Teaser is out now. #Maalik ko milne aa jaana 11 July ko sirf cinema gharon main!”  

As soon as Maalik’s teaser dropped online, netizens were quick to chime in the comment section to share their reviews. Some found the actor’s new action avatar intriguing, and a few of them were disappointed at Bollywood’s obsession with violent movies. A user said, “Such a "heater" teaser, bgm full on fire. Rajkumar gaaru in mass avatar is just explosive. Must go to watch this movie in theatres.” A second user reacted, “This Pushpa Hangover in actors really needs to stop!” The third user commented, “Dude you are such a terrific actor who choose “Trapped” and “Shahid” in your early days. Nowadays either you are repeating village boy and now this animal/pushpa hangover.” Another user stated, “Unnecessary villainous role ko hero jaisa dikhaaya to waste hai..Pushpa jaisa pathetic hi niklega fir.”

Check Maalik teaser here:

Maalik, directed by Pulkit and produced by Kumar Taurani under the Tips Films banner and Jay Shewakramani's Northern Lights Films. The film is set to hit theatres on 11th July 2025. Meanwhile, Rajkummar Rao was last seen in Bhool Chuk Maaf alongside Wamiqa Gabbi.