BHOOL CHUK MAAF’S SUDDEN THEATRICAL CANCELLATION SENDS SHOCKWAVES

Bhool Chuk Maaf was all set to be released in cinemas tomorrow, that is, May 9. The advance booking had started and even the press show invites were sent out to the members of the media. But at 11:00 am on May 8, the makers announced that they won’t be releasing the film tomorrow and moreover, it’ll never see the light of day in cinemas! They further revealed that the film will premiere on OTT, on Amazon Prime Video, on May 16.

The statement read, “In light of the 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 eagerly looking forward to celebrating the film with you in theatres, the spirit of the nation comes first. Jai Hind.”

There were murmurs that Bhool Chuk Maaf might get delayed by a week as there might be military escalations between India and Pakistan, leading to a tense situation in the country. Hence, many were prepared for it. But the makers not just pushed the release by a week, they also decided to bypass the theatrical route. The exhibitors are obviously angry. The situation reminded them of the dark days of the pandemic. But those days were different as cinemas were shut and there was a fear of going to cinemas. At present, cinemas are open and there’s no fear at all.

The holdover releases faced a dent in collections on Wednesday, May 7, due to the news coverage about Operation Sindoor. But it was not alarming and it's not like people will skip leisure activities and focus only on the developments across the border, the next few days. Also, the exhibitors feel that the makers could have probably waited and brought their film in cinemas a week or two later. Cancelling the theatrical release has led to disappointment and dejection among cinema owners.

As of 10:00 am on May 8, Bhool Chuk Maaf had sold around 5000 tickets. It could have opened at around Rs. 3 crores and if content was strong, the film would have collected Rs. 14-15 crores in its first weekend. With no competition from any major Hindi release until June 6, the film had the chance to be a sleeper hit. Last year, Srikanth, also starring Rajkummar Rao, was released in the same week and took advantage of negligible competition, collecting around Rs. 48-50 crores. Bhool Chuk Maaf could have followed suit.

Meanwhile, Raid 2 will now have a further advantage. The Ajay Devgn-starrer opened at a huge Rs. 19.25 crores, much more than Rs. 11-12 crores that was expected from it. At the end of Week 1, it is expected to collect around Rs. 94 crores. Last year, Ajay Devgn’s Shaitaan managed to collect Rs. 145 crores plus and also had the benefit of an open run. It managed to do so despite collecting Rs. 80 crores in Week 1. Raid 2 has earned more in its initial week and therefore, it won’t be a surprise if it manages to clock a huge number in its lifetime.