Ahead of the release of their upcoming film "Maalik," Rajkummar Rao and Manushi Chhillar, along with director Pulkit, visited the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara in Delhi to offer prayers. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.
"Maalik" is an action thriller directed by Pulkit and produced by Kumar Taurani and Jay Shewakramani. Rajkummar Rao stars in the titular role, alongside Prosenjit Chatterjee and Manushi Chhillar. The movie is set against the backdrop of 1980s Allahabad and features Rajkummar Rao as a ruthless gangster aiming for political power. Manushi Chhillar's role is described as beautiful, and she expressed that she had a lot of fun while shooting.
Principal photography for "Maalik" commenced in August 2024 and included a three-month shooting schedule across Lucknow, Varanasi, and Unnao. Filming locations included the Lucknow-Kanpur highway and Lucknow University's Subhash Hostel. The final scenes, including the protagonist's wedding sequence, were filmed in Kanpur.
The film's soundtrack is composed by Sachin-Jigar, with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and a background score by Ketan Sodha. The first single, "Naamumkin," was released on June 10, 2025, followed by "Dil Thaam Ke" on June 20, 2025. The song “Raaj Karega Maalik”, sung by MC Square, was launched at an event in Lucknow.
Rajkummar Rao has several other projects in the pipeline, including "Stree 3," slated for release in 2027, and "Bhool Chuk Maaf". In 2024, he starred in the biopic "Srikanth," portraying visually-impaired industrialist Srikanth Bolla, and appeared in "Mr. & Mrs. Mahi". Manushi Chhillar's recent projects include "Bade Miyan Chote Miyan," "Operation Valentine," and "Tehran". She made her Bollywood debut in "Samrat Prithviraj" (2022) and also appeared in "The Great Indian Family" (2023).
Manushi Chhillar was the winner of the Miss World 2017 pageant. As Miss World, she launched "Project Shakti," a campaign focused on menstrual hygiene awareness.