The trailer of Maalik dropped today, offering a striking departure for Rajkummar Rao, who’s seen in a full-blown action avatar, firing guns, delivering cheesy dialogues, and pulling off slick stunts with swagger. While the internet is abuzz with Rajkummar’s transformation, another talking point has been the presence of Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee, who plays a formidable cop pitted against Rajkummar’s gangster in the film. In one of the trailer’s key moments, Prosenjit’s character vows to hunt Maalik down.
However, at the trailer launch event in Mumbai, there was no trace of on-screen rivalry between the two actors. Instead, the mood was warm and full of mutual admiration. Prosenjit, in fact, used the platform to publicly congratulate Rakummar for being cast as Sourav Ganguly in the long-anticipated biopic directed by Vikramaditya Motwane.
‘Sourav Ganguly biopic is going to be a great film’
“Just ten days ago, Sourav and I were chief guests at an event together. I hugged him and said, ‘I’m going to meet Rajkummar soon. We’ve done a film together that’s about to release.’ I’m so happy. Dada and Raj, that’s a great combination. And with Vikram, one of my favourite directors, I’m sure it’s going to be a great film,” said Prosenjit.
Prosenjit Chatterjee at Maalik trailer launch. (Photo: Varinder Chawla)
While Rajkummar Rao didn’t offer a comment on the biopic at the event, he smiled warmly in response. The two actors also bonded over their shared Bengali connection, Rajkummar’s wife, actress Patralekhaa, is from Shillong and has Bengali roots.
The Sourav Ganguly biopic has been in the news for several years, and it was only recently that the project gained fresh momentum. Ganguly himself confirmed casting during a media interaction earlier this year, saying, “From what I’ve heard, Rajkummar Rao will play the role… but there are issues of dates, so it will take more than a year to hit the screens.”
Watch | Maalik trailer: Rajkummar Rao drops bullets like raindrops in this violent crime-drama
Shortly after Ganguly’s comments, Rajkummar officially confirmed the news: “Now that Dada has already said it, let me also make it official — yes, I am playing him in his biopic.”
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The Sourav Ganguly biopic will mark Rajkummar Rao’s second collaboration with director Vikramaditya Motwane after their critically acclaimed survival thriller Trapped.
