Dinesh Vijan has been a favorite among exhibitors, with films like Stree 2, Chhaava, and Munjya achieving remarkable success at the box office. However, on the morning of May 8, he delivered disappointing news to cinema owners across the country. The makers announced that Bhool Chuk Maaf, starring Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi, would not release in theaters as scheduled on May 9. Instead, the film will premiere directly on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video a week later, on May 16.
The statement read, “In light of recent events and the heightened security drills across the nation, we at Maddock Films and Amazon MGM Studios have decided to bring our family entertainer, Bhool Chuk Maaf, directly to your homes on May 16—only on Prime Video, worldwide. While we were eager to celebrate the film with you in theaters, the spirit of the nation comes first. Jai Hind.”Unsurprisingly, exhibitors were not pleased with this decision. A multiplex official, speaking anonymously, stated, “We were shocked. We read Mr. Taran Adarsh’s tweet about the cancellation before receiving any official word from the distributor, which came only an hour and a half later.
By that time, we had already started issuing refunds and adjusting our programming. During a pandemic, we can understand the shift to direct OTT releases, but this situation was different. It baffles us all. ”A trade source noted that approximately 5,000 tickets had already been sold in national chains, projecting an opening of around ₹3 crores and potential weekend earnings of ₹15 crores, especially with no competition from Hindi films until June 6. Vishek Chauhan, owner of Roopbani Cinema in Purnia, Bihar, shared that advance bookings had begun but were underwhelming.
“In Inox City Centre Patna, only two tickets were sold, and Cinepolis P&M Mall hadn’t sold a single ticket,” he explained. He speculated that the filmmakers might have realized that Rajkummar Rao’s previous film, Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, earned around ₹35 crores, yet struggled to open strongly. “They probably thought Bhool Chuk Maaf would perform similarly, leading to a theatrical share of about ₹17 crores. Amazon may have offered a better price for the digital rights, making the financials more appealing for a direct OTT release,” he added.
