‘Maalik’ release: Manushi Chhillar prioritises artistic growth over BO success

Produced by Kumar Taurani under the Tips Films banner and Jay Shewakramani's Northern Lights Films, the “Maalik” movie was released in cinemas on July 11.

Mumbai: Manushi Chhillar says more than box office success, her focus is on internal growth as an actor.

Chhillar, who stars opposite Rajkummar Rao in the upcoming film “Maalik”, is known for her role in movies such as “Samrat Prithviraj”, “The Great Indian Family”, “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan”, and “Operation Valentine”.

---

“My focus is on the internal journey, rather than what happens at the box office. When an audience reacts to your film in a certain way, it gives you an idea, a different perspective, and sometimes that might be useful in understanding whether there’s something you should be doing differently or trying something differently.

“So, that’s the sort of feedback is great to have. But the box office number of a film, I don’t think, has ever made me make a different choice in my life,” Chillar told PTI in an interview.

The action thriller, directed by filmmaker Pulkit of “Bhakshak” fame, features the former Miss World in the role of a small town woman.

“Because people have seen you in a certain avatar that you’ll be presented visually, they might feel that’s the space you want to be in… If you want to choose to do different kinds of roles, then it’s great to pursue them and show that interest. I was not the natural choice for something like this (‘Maalik’). Fortunately, it happened at the right time in my life when I was seeking something very similar to what I’ve done in ‘Maalik’,” Chhillar told PTI in an interview.

In the movie, set in the backdrop of Allahabad of the 80s, the actor said she was required to have an in-depth understanding of her character, Shalini, who is Rao’s love interest. Besides, she also had to adopt the mannerisms and language of the heartland of India.

“Maalik” boasts of talented actors such as Saurabh Shukla, Saurabh Sachdeva, Prosenjit Chatterjee, and Swanand Kirkire. Produced by Kumar Taurani under the Tips Films banner and Jay Shewakramani’s Northern Lights Films, the movie is set to be released in cinemas on July 11.