We’ve seen him playing a cop in HIT: The First Case (2022), a remake of the Telugu thriller with the same name, and Bheed (2023), a Bollywood social drama. Neither of which were really action-action roles. So it comes as a bit of a surprise that Rajkummar Rao is exploring a change of scene and has shifted lanes to try his craft at a new genre. The actor, who had four releases this year in Srikanth, Mr. and Mrs. Mahi, Stree 2, and Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, has just completed an all-out action film in the Pulkit Samrat-directed Maalik. Rajkummar began work on this massy actioner in April as soon as he finished VVKWWV. The film, that co-stars Bade Miyan Chote Miyan beauty queen Manushi Chhillar, was shot in Lucknow first, then Varanasi and Unnao. Rajkummar had to train extensively with Jigra action director Vikram Dahiya to get ready for Maalik. The film has many action sequences and shows Rajkummar in two avatars, as a ruffian and a gangster, proficient in handling weapons and in hand-to-hand combat.