Rajkummar Rao’s Bhool Chuk Maaf has opted out of its May 10 theatrical release and will now premiere directly on Amazon Prime Video from May 16.
The official reason? “Unfavorable national sentiment” following the tragic Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22.
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But here’s the contradiction: despite the attack, the team went full throttle on promotions — dancing at events, launching songs, and conducting city tours like business as usual.
On April 24, the makers launched the Chor Bazari song, followed by a Rajasthan tour on April 25. Then came Lucknow promotions, a street campaign in Mumbai, a trailer launch in Indore, a song release and a Delhi tour, culminating in advance bookings being opened on May 5.
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If national sentiment was the real concern, promotions should’ve paused immediately. But the team didn’t flinch — until they saw advance bookings tank and Raid 2 dominate the box office chatter.
Now, they’re hiding behind terms like “security drills” and “respect for the situation.” But let’s be honest — this isn’t empathy, it’s damage control.
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If the makers were transparent, they would’ve said: “Due to low buzz and stiff competition from Raid 2, we’ve decided on a direct OTT release.”
Even better would’ve been a respectful delay with a message like:
“The nation comes first. We’ll release the film when the time is right.”
That would’ve earned admiration.
Instead, they launched advance bookings, hyped the film at the last minute, then abruptly pulled out — all while claiming the environment wasn’t suitable. It reeks of opportunism, not sensitivity.
Bollywood’s double standards are the reason audience trust is fading. If they believed the situation was genuinely sensitive, why open advance bookings at all?
Maddock Films may have dodged a theatrical disaster, but their excuse insults both audience intelligence and theatre owners alike.
