Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi’s romantic comedy Bhool Chuk Maaf is off to a strong start at the box office, despite having a very short theatrical run and facing some tough competition. Directed by debutant Karan Sharma, the film has managed to win over audiences with its charm and light-hearted storytelling.
Let’s take a look at how the film performed over its opening weekend and what it means for the future of its box office journey.
Decent Weekend Numbers Despite Mixed Reviews
Bhool Chuk Maaf hit the theatres on Friday and made a promising beginning by earning ₹7.2 crore on its first day. The numbers picked up on Saturday, bringing in ₹9.8 crore. By Sunday, the film had its best day yet, collecting ₹11.7 crore, which pushed its three-day total to ₹28.71 crore.
Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics and being released during a challenging time, the film has managed to attract a good number of viewers. According to box office tracking site Sacnilk, it has already crossed the ₹25 crore mark in less than three days and is expected to surpass ₹30 crore soon—if it can hold strong on Monday.
Beats Emergency and The Diplomat at the Box Office
With its weekend total of ₹28.71 crore, Bhool Chuk Maaf has outperformed some big films released earlier this year. Kangana Ranaut’s political drama Emergency earned ₹20.48 crore, while John Abraham’s thriller The Diplomat opened with ₹13.30 crore over its first weekend.
This makes Bhool Chuk Maaf one of the top performers among recent Bollywood releases, which is impressive considering its shorter run in theatres.
Audience Turnout and City-Wise Occupancy
On Sunday, the film saw its highest turnout during the evening shows with an occupancy rate of 43.96%. Afternoon shows followed at 35.51%, night shows at 29.05%, and morning shows had 11.5%.
City-wise, the film did extremely well in Chennai, with a remarkable 86% occupancy. Other cities with strong attendance included Jaipur (38.75%), Bengaluru (37.25%), NCR (33.25%), and Lucknow (33%).
Other Films Struggle to Keep Up
While Bhool Chuk Maaf enjoyed a successful weekend, other films didn’t fare as well. One such film, Kesari Veer, a historical action movie starring Suniel Shetty and Sooraj Pancholi, could only earn ₹32 lakh on Sunday, bringing its total to just ₹86 lakh over the weekend. Meanwhile, Hollywood releases like Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Final Destination: Bloodlines continue to do relatively well in Indian theatres.
A Short Theatrical Window—But Still a Hit
One major challenge for Bhool Chuk Maaf has been its limited time in cinemas. The film is set to stream on Prime Video India starting June 6, which means it will only run in theatres for about two weeks. This short window raised doubts about whether audiences would choose to watch it on the big screen or just wait for its digital release.
Despite this, the film has been declared a success. Kamal Gianchandani, the Chief of Business Planning & Strategy at PVR INOX, praised the movie’s performance on social media. “Some wrote off Bhool Chuk Maaf citing ‘discount offers’ or ‘lack of appeal’. The box office tells a very different story — it’s a genuine hit,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He also mentioned that May has been a good month for theatres and audiences are returning in big numbers.
Legal Drama Behind the Scenes
There’s also been some legal tension surrounding the release of Bhool Chuk Maaf. PVR INOX had taken the producers, Maddock Films (led by Dinesh Vijan), to court over their decision to move the film to OTT just a week after its theatrical release. According to an agreement signed on May 6, the film was supposed to stay in theatres for at least eight weeks.
However, the producers reportedly ended the deal a day before the theatrical release, announcing it would premiere on OTT on June 6. PVR INOX claimed this was a breach of contract and had even approached the Bombay High Court for a resolution.
Bhool Chuk Maaf
Despite the challenges—from mixed reviews to a shortened theatre run and even legal battles—Bhool Chuk Maaf has managed to shine at the box office. With over ₹28 crore already in the bag and the ₹30 crore mark within reach, the film has proven that a good story, relatable characters, and audience buzz can still bring people to theatres.
All eyes are now on how well the film performs during the weekdays and whether it can keep the momentum going before it hits streaming platforms.
