Bhool Chuk Maaf, the forthcoming comedy-drama featuring Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi, has turned into one of the most important release controversies. The film was slated for release on May 9, 2025, as a theatrical release when its producers, Maddock Films, filed legal action against the studio over their decision to not do a theatrical release and instead directly stream the movie on Amazon Prime Video. Counter to that, the Bombay High Court granted immediate relief in the form of a stay on the OTT release and forced a new release plan.
What Happened?
Maddock Films managed to raise suspicion by suddenly and without notice announcing in a release statement merely three days beforehand that, due to “national security concerns” associated with national tensions between India and Pakistan, the filmmakers would now stream directly on a subscription service, Amazon Prime Video, nor would it put the film in theaters as initially agreed upon. Producers claimed this was a precaution.
However, operators PVR Inox vehemently disagree. PVR Inox had formalized an agreement with the production company on May 6 where the former explicitly stated that the film would have an exclusive theatrical window for eight weeks and only after that could it be released online. To even begin promotional activities and encourage advanced bookings in numerous cities was seen as bad faith.
Caught off guard, the plaintiffs, PVR Inox, filed a ₹60 crore lawsuit for breach of contract against the producers; the Bombay High Court instantly reacted, and issued an interim injunction stopping the OTT release until the court could examine the merits of the plaintiffs’ application with a full evidentiary presentation.
A Quick Settlement – and a New Plan
Within 48 hours of the hearing and the court order, the parties collaborated to settle their differences. The PVR Inox view was that after the courts’ order there was a risk of growing loss, if they did not reach a quick solution. The producers, the Mad dock Films, and PVR Inox agreed on a fresh and revised release timetable.
The film will now be released in cinema on May 23, 2025, and be released digitally on OTT on June 6, 2025. Although this differs from a great deal of time with the eight-week window in the past, the two parties agreed that for this particular matter, a two-week window was deemed reasonable.
The court accepted the undertaking of settlement, but there are still more steps before the case is finally closed. The parties still have to appear on June 16, 2025, for a hearing to consider the implications of the case and the appropriateness of the producers’ last-minute change of plan.
What is ‘Bhool Chuk Maaf’?
Directed by Karan Sharma, and featuring Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi, Bhool Chuk Maaf is a unique romantic comedy with a twist of time loop. It follows the story of Ranjan, a small-town romantic from Banaras, who is forced to relive the same wedding day over and over again because he broke a promise that he made to Lord Shiva the night before. The more loops Ranjan goes through, the more chaotic and comedic the story becomes, and the more he learns about love, faith, and destiny.
The film is expected to be lighthearted and emotional at the same time, and with Rajkummar Rao in the lead role and Wamiqa Gabbi’s charm being added to the story, expectations are fairly high.
At this point, fans will have to wait for the theatrical release on May 23 and for the streaming release on June 6. If nothing else, the drama may soon be behind the film-and it might be worth the wait.
Stay tuned to Club4Celebs for more updates.
