Bhool Chuk Maaf: Can Rajkummar Rao’s New Flick Break the Box-Office Loop?

Image Source: Times of India

Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi’s latest film, Bhool Chuk Maaf, debuted in theaters on May 23, 2025, with much anticipation due to its unique time-loop premise and star cast. Despite positive word-of-mouth and a quirky storyline, the film’s opening day performance was moderate, reflecting both the challenges and opportunities it faces in the current box-office landscape.

Opening Day Performance

Bhool Chuk Maaf collected between ₹6.75 crore and ₹7.2 crore net in India on day one, as per early estimates.
The overall occupancy rate of the film was approximately 19.36% in the Hindi 2D segment, with morning shows beginning at 9.4% and increasing to 31.27% by night.
NCR and Bengaluru exhibited the best turnout, with 21.5% and 25% occupancy, respectively. Mumbai and Pune followed a bit behind.

Relative Box Office Context

Bhool Chuk Maaf is currently Rajkummar Rao's second-highest opener to date, beating movies like Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video (₹5.71 crore) and Stree (₹6.83 crore), but far behind the hit Stree 2 (₹64.8 crore).
The movie is the 7th highest Bollywood opener in 2025, following movies such as Chhaava (₹33.1 crore) and Sikandar (₹30.06 crore).
In comparison to other recent films, it surpassed The Diplomat (₹4 crore) and Deva (₹5.5 crore), but trailed behind Kesari Chapter 2 (₹7.75 crore) and Jaat (₹9.5 crore).

Factors Affecting the Opening

Release of the film was preceded by a court battle with one of the large movie chains and discussions on an OTT vs. theatrical release, which could have impacted its opening momentum.
Although a slow beginning, encouraging audience response and higher evening occupancy indicate that strong word of mouth would be able to push its weekend business.
The lack of big-ticket competition this week offers a chance for Bhool Chuk Maaf to pick up momentum in the days to come.

Critical and Audience Reception

Initial reviews commend the film's original plot and the performance of Rajkummar Rao, although they comment that it is not a career-enhancing role for the actor.
Supporting actors like Seema Pahwa, Raghubir Yadav, Sanjay Mishra, and Zakir Hussain are picked for praise for lending depth and reality to the movie.

Weekend Prospects

With an improved opening on Saturday morning and forecast collections of approximately ₹9 crore for Day 2, the movie is set for improvement if positive trends prevail.
Consistent momentum and strong word-of-mouth can propel Bhool Chuk Maaf as a sleeper hit of the year.

Sources: Times of India, Economic Times, Koimoi, Indian Express, Addatoday