‘Bhool Chuk Maaf' movie review: Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi light up this timely parable
In the story of Satyanarayan, an important multi-stranded tale in religious storytelling in Indian homes, the protagonists tend to forget the noble deed they promise when they seek a blessing or a favour from the Almighty. But God has His ways to remind the faithful of the unkept vows.
Cutting through a web of rituals, writer-director Karan Sharma brings the message of this timeless katha to theatres with a modern-day parable. A rollicking social commentary laced with a layer of magic realism, Bhool Chuk Maaf makes a sharp comment on the growing schism in society where goodness and compassion are often measured on a scale of religious identity, where the goal corrupts our action even when the Bhagavad Gita is invoked on a daily basis.
Underlining the everyday hypocrisy where practice and preaching don't often match, the film begins in Banaras among Tiwaris, Dwivedis, and Pandeys. Ranjan (Rajkummar Rao) loves Titli (Wamiqa Gabbi). Caste and religion are not an issue. The problem is more immediate. Ranjan is jobless, and the girl's father wants a groom with a government job. In the race against time, Ranjan bribes Mahadev in the temple and Bhagwan Das (Sanjay Mishra), an endearing fixer, outside.
Things seem to fall in place, but on the wedding day, Ranjan finds himself caught in a time loop. The poor boy repeatedly wakes up on the day of his Haldi ceremony. Soon, we discover that Sharma is not just making fun of the Haldi ceremony, which has become the most significant wedding ritual for the youth. There is more to it than situational humour. Banaras has more to it than just Brahmin surnames, that unemployment is not community-centric, and that doing the right thing is not always the most acceptable thing socially.
Bhool Chuk Maaf (Hindi)
Director: Karan Sharma
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi, Seema Pahwa, Sanjay Mishra, Raghubir Yadav, Vineet Kumar, Zakir Hussain
Runtime: 121 minutes
Storyline: Ranjan gets his girl after he lands a government job, but an unfulfilled promise to Lord Shiva sends him into a time loop
The best part is that Sharma makes us believe in his leap of faith for a while. The trap of the time loop feels realistic, for we don't learn from our mistakes and allow history to repeat itself. Curiously, after Operation Sindoor, it seemed that the film's release would also get stuck like its protagonist's love life, but the producers quickly fulfilled their pre-release promises.
Returning to Ranjan and Titli, the vernacular jokes and jibes hit the right notes, and Rajkummar and Wamiqa seamlessly merge into the Banarasi setting. Titli has more agency than Ranjan, but Sharma doesn't turn their romance into a feminist exercise and presents both with their faults and prejudices. Usually, heroes, heroines, and the supporting cast seem to inhabit disparate worlds in modern-day rom-coms set in rurban locales. Here, if seasoned players like Seema Pahwa, Raghubir Yadav, Vineet Kumar, and Sanjay Mishra stitch a relatable social tapestry, Rajkummar and Wamiqa become the warp and weft in it.
Wamiqa lives up to her character's name. Livewire with a sense of purpose, like many talented outsiders, Wamiqa's career is clogged in the labyrinthine Bollywood talent lines that remain jammed because of the film family ward quota system. Like a butterfly, her talent, it seems, has finally found an outlet in the big sea. In contrast, Rajkummar Rao, another outsider, is seafaring after years of struggle. Of course, he is attempting to repeat the box office gains made with Stree in Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video and here. But, for now, he is in a Bhool Chuk Maaf kind of space often reserved for a star. He should be careful with his everyman charm as it can easily turn into a slippery slope, as we discovered with Ayushmann Khurrana. However, Rajkummar has an edge over his contemporaries because he can dig deeper to be a Shahid or a Newton any day.
The time loop is the crux of the story, but the trick is not to let it fall into a rut. After a lively build-up, which was reflected in the trailer, Sharma seems a bit insecure about how the big reveal will land and overwrites the portion. The jokes start overspeaking to keep the levity intact, making it an increasingly laboured exercise towards the denouement.
For a story that demands a certain lightness of touch, the makers don't really trust the audience and pad it with an unnecessarily heavy background score. The song and dance sequences remain utterly bland despite names like Irshad Kamil and Tanishk Bagchi in the credits. So much so that Maddock has to recycle Irshad's gem from Love Aaj Kal to send the audience home humming Chor Bazari. On OTT, the audience remains in a Bhool Chuk Maaf mode but becomes the Almighty in theatres where it doesn't ignore unkept promises!
Bhool Chuk Maaf is currently running in theatres
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Aamir Khan breaks down recalling his decision to quit films: 'I knew what my directors' dreams and fears were, but not my own children's'
Before the release of Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir Khan broke down in tears while speaking about a deeply personal phase in his life, one where he contemplated walking away from films to make up for the time he felt he lost with his children and family. The superstar, who has been a part of Indian cinema for over three decades, shared that the Covid-19 pandemic was a turning point that made him reassess his priorities. 'I had not given them any time' Aamir recounted how, during the lockdown, he realised just how much he had neglected his personal life in pursuit of his career. 'All these 18 years of my life were filled with passion, magic and a craze for creativity,' he said in an emotional appearance on Aap Ki Adalat. 'But I was 56, and I started thinking — what have I done with my family, my children, my ammi, and my siblings? I had not given them any time.' With tears in his eyes, the Dangal star shared that his children Ira and Junaid were already in their twenties, and he had no idea what their childhood dreams or insecurities were. 'I knew what my directors' (Ashutosh Gowariker) dreams and fears were, but not my own children's. When I realised this, I was depressed for three days.' Aamir's decision to quit and what changed his mind It was during this time that Aamir decided Laal Singh Chaddha would be his last film. He informed his family and even called Sitaare Zameen Par director RS Prasanna to step away from acting in the project. But it was his children, and ex-wife Kiran Rao, who eventually pulled him back. 'Junaid told me, 'Papa, you're being an extremist. Earlier you gave everything to films, and now you want to give everything to us. There's a middle path.'' Ira, too, expressed that he had already spent significant time with them, and they had their own lives to lead. Kiran, visibly moved, told Aamir, 'You are a child of cinema. If you leave films, you'll leave us too. Don't do that.' Their words struck a chord. Aamir Khan, Gauri & Azad Steal the Spotlight at Sitaare Zameen Par Premiere Aamir's promise: 'I will never leave cinema' When Aamir was asked if he could now promise fans that he wouldn't leave films again, the actor responded with conviction, 'I want to promise here, in this show, I will never leave the film industry. Whatever I am today is because of the affection of my fans. I am grateful to all. I thank the Almighty for granting me this. I am grateful to my country, my soil and my people.'
Pink Villa
41 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
Box Office: Housefull 5 nets Rs 159 crore at end of third weekend, business hit by Sitaare Zameen Par
Akshay Kumar's Housefull 5 witnessed a major dent in its third weekend because of Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par. The comedy caper directed by Tushar Mansukhani has registered an average third weekend by clocking just Rs 6.90 crore net. Housefull 5 collects Rs 2.90 crore on 3rd Sunday, cume reaches Rs 159 crore Released on June 6, Housefull 5 is showing a downward trajectory at the box office ever since Aamir Khan's sports comedy drama took charge. After collecting Rs 114.4 crore in its opening week and Rs 37.35 crore in its second week, the Akshay Kumar starrer could add just Rs 6.90 crore to the tally on its third weekend. It entered the third weekend by collecting Rs 1.60 crore on Friday, followed by Rs 2.40 crore on Saturday. As per estimates, the movie is likely to end up netting over Rs 2.90 crore on Sunday. The total cume of Housefull 5 now stands at Rs 158.90 crore net at the Indian box office. Housefull 5 targets an end at Rs 170 crore, set to turn an average affair Bankrolled by Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, the movie is heading to finish its domestic theatrical run around Rs 170 crore net. Though this is not an ideal ending for an Akshay Kumar movie, it should have done Rs 200 crore at least. However, it is a reasonable figure for a movie that opened majorly to mixed-bag reactions. The movie is expected to achieve its break-even by the end of its theatrical run. However, it will end up bagging an average verdict. Moreover, its lifetime business will be less than its previous part, Housefull 4. The Day Wise Net India Collections Of Housefull 5 In India Are As Under Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more. Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our research. The figures can be approximate, and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the films in question.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Desi Boyz take over Oxford as Bollywood beats light up historic halls in viral dance video
In a stunning fusion of East and West, a group of desi boys brought Bollywood beats to the historic halls of Oxford. Led by Druv Punjabi, their viral dance video features high-energy moves filmed at Lady Margaret Hall and other campus landmarks. The performance has earned praise online for its creativity, confidence, and powerful display of cultural pride. Oxford University witnessed an unexpected cultural crossover as alumnus Druv Punjabi and his crew filmed a lively Bollywood dance video to Desi Boyz across its iconic campus. From Lady Margaret Hall to stone pathways, the reel blends Indian energy with British legacy, going viral on Instagram and winning hearts for its joyful celebration of desi identity in elite spaces. (Screenshots: Instagram/ druvphk ) Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads 'Oxford Gets a Taste of Bollywood' A Cultural Rewriting of Legacy Spaces Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads It's not every day that the ancient, ivy-covered walls of Oxford University groove to a Bollywood beat. But on June 21, 2025, that's exactly what happened — virtually, at least — when alumnus Druv Punjabi and his crew unleashed a vibrant, high-energy dance video shot across some of Oxford's most iconic spots. The song of choice? None other than the foot-tapping anthem Desi Boyz Posted on Instagram via @druvphk, the video features a group of young men in modern outfits executing flawless Bollywood choreography in locations like Lady Margaret Hall , gardens, stone corridors, and open courtyards — the kind of places more accustomed to academic robes than dance rehearsals. In a perfect clash of cultures, the video showcases what happens when the traditions of one of the world's oldest universities meet the charisma and colour of Indian cinema The video caption itself set the tone: 'Check out this incredible Bollywood dance video filmed at Lady Margaret Hall and other iconic Oxford spots – created by alumnus Druv Punjabi and crew 🕺'. Since its posting, it has racked up over 30,000 views and hundreds of heartwarming reactions celebrating the cultural fusion Netizens have been quick to cheer on the crew. One user wrote, 'God bless you Desi Boys — lovely to see Indian culture coming through at the University of Oxford ❤️'. Another gushed, 'Oxford gets a taste of Bollywood 🔥', while a third joked, 'Aah Bollywood making it to Oxford halls, seriously vocal for local working guys 😂'. The enthusiasm only amplified with comments like 'The halls of Oxford University echoing with Bollywood mashups 🙌❤️'.What makes the video special isn't just the choreography or the catchy track — it's the powerful symbolism behind the spectacle. Oxford, often seen as a bastion of Western academia, becomes a stage for South Asian pride and joyful cultural an era where cultural expression is often boxed into binaries of tradition and modernity, this video bursts through the frame with a colourful 'why not both?' The seamless blend of Oxford's regal surroundings with Bollywood's unmistakable energy creates a spectacle that's as moving as it is the 30,000 views and countless shares are impressive, what Druv Punjabi and his crew have pulled off is much more than a trending reel. It's a message: that identity is something to be danced with, celebrated, and fearlessly shared — even against the stone pillars of a 900-year-old institution.
