Menu
In a film brimming with grit, guns, and Rajkummar Rao’s intense gangster energy, it’s Miss World Manushi Chhillar, who quietly, consistently and effortlessly draws attention.
As Shalini in Maalik, Manushi brings an unexpected emotional gravitas that anchors the chaos around her. Point to be noted her is that Manushi aimed to please with Maalik, and definitely succeeded in her endeavors.
Right from the first song Naamumkin, it became evident that she wasn’t just playing the romantic lead, she was crafting a character with layered complexity. Set to the moving lyrics of “Hai naamumkin, bina tere, mera hona, hai naamumkin…”, the ballad doesn’t just explore Maalik’s softer side.
It showcases Shalini as the emotional compass of the film. Her chemistry with Rajkummar Rao is palpable, and their pairing, though fresh, already feels deeply rooted in tenderness and tension. What also is one of the highlights of Naamumkin is Manushi’s de-glam avatar, that has become the centre of appreciation right from Rajkummar Rao to the audience.
Her presence only deepens in Maalik‘s high-octane trailer, where we meet Shalini in her de-glam, salwar-kameez-clad simplicity. Manushi sheds any remnants of her pageant past to transform into a small-town woman caught in the violent whirlpool of her husband’s crime and ambition.
She is the soft-spoken strength standing behind, and sometimes beside Maalik, a man determined to rule the world. Her nuanced portrayal of a woman trying to hold her husband back from the brink, while silently pushing him forward, is quietly revolutionary in a narrative otherwise bursting with machismo.
The trailer sparked instant chatter online, and much of it centered on Manushi’s radical shift from her previous roles, in turn proving she’s not just here to play safe.
The latest song to drop from the film, Raaj Karega Maalik, is a fiery anthem pulsing with ambition and rebellion. And once again, Manushi doesn’t fade into the background. Instead, she stands tall and powerful beside Rajkummar Rao, as the duo recite what it is to be Maalik, thus setting the tone for the movie.
Whether it’s the commanding visual language or her sheer physicality on screen, she matches Rajkummar’s menacing energy beat-for-beat. Between the simmering romance of Naamumkin, her emotionally charged presence in the trailer, and the bold energy she channels in Raaj Karega Maalik, it’s clear that Miss World Manushi Chhillar has truly arrived.
Maalik might be Rajkummar Rao’s first gangster film, but it’s also shaping up to be Manushi’s breakout moment. One where she proves that she’s far more than a beauty queen turned actress. She’s a force to be reckoned with, and she’s here to stay.
