Industry in Shock: Offers, Self Bookings & Fake BO

Recently, there have been some explosive allegations against Maddock Films for manipulating the box office performance of Bhool Chuk Maaf.

The film starring Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi was released just a day ago but is currently in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Trade insiders and exhibitors are reportedly furious after the theatrical window was slashed to just two weeks. Many have called it a gimmick to prioritise OTT deals over the interests of cinema hall and multiplex owners.

Well, the outrage doesn’t end there. Recent reports suggest massive self-bookings were carried out by the production house on Saturday. This has artificially boosted numbers to a great extent.

The Day 1 collection for the comedy drama is officially between Rs. 6 to Rs. 6.5 crore. However, industry estimates reveal the organic business is only around Rs 2. to Rs. 3 crore.

It is quite obvious that an enormous number is not possible, especially with 50% to 70% ticket discounts being given across platforms like BookMyShow.

The bad part? Sources claim this isn’t a one-off. Maddock Films has allegedly followed similar practices with previous titles like Stree, Chhaava, and SkyForce.

While other banners like YRF maintain transparency and still rule the box office, Maddock seems more obsessed with perception than performance.

So, is Bhool Chuk Maaf a flop behind an exaggerated promotional hit? Time will tell.