May 24, 2025 - After overcoming several controversies, the film Bhool Chook Maaf has finally been released in theatres. This time, the producers have given the audience an extra facility — the film will also be released on Amazon Prime Video just two weeks after its theatrical release. Usually, this gap is around eight weeks. It seems the producers realised that something may have gone wrong in the making of the film. That’s likely why they decided to bring it to the audience's homes so quickly.

The Story

Bhool Chuk Maaf is promoted as a “time loop” film. In this type of story, the main characters get stuck reliving the same time and events over and over again. The main character, 25-year-old Ranjan Tiwari (Rajkummar Rao), has only one dream — to marry his girlfriend Titli (Wamiqa Gabbi). But Titli’s father, Brij Mohan (Zakir Hussain), sets a condition: if Ranjan gets a government job within two months, he will allow the marriage.

Ranjan is unemployed and his mother Ramavati (Seema Pahwa) runs a pickle business. His father Raghunath (Raghubir Yadav) depends on this business too. Ranjan lives with his maternal uncle (Ishtiaq Khan) and his friend Hari (Dhirendra Gautam). Titli is so eager to marry Ranjan that she even mortgages her mother’s three tola gold necklace. Finally, with help from a middleman named Bhagwan Das (Sanjay Mishra), Ranjan gets a government job. Wedding preparations begin, but the day of the “haldi” ceremony keeps repeating in Ranjan’s life. The story is about how confused Ranjan tries to escape this loop.

The Film Tests Your Patience, Not the Actors

Director Karan Sharma wrote the story and screenplay. His idea of a time loop is interesting, but there are many mistakes in how the message is shown. The first half of the film takes too long to reach the main point. There are some funny moments, though. The time loop part starts in the second half. Here, the film tries to show how shortcuts (jugaad) affect society and what problems they cause. It also asks when people stopped caring about right and wrong.

However, it takes too long to explain this. The repeated scenes of reliving the same day get boring. The film tests your patience, and the result is a story that feels scattered and confused. The film is set in Banaras to show the character as innocent, but that feeling is missing from the language, dialogues and environment. Actually, the story could have happened in any city. The cinematographer Sudip Chatterjee shows some streets and riverbanks of Banaras.

In one scene, Ranjan calls feeding jaggery roti to cows puran poli, which is a Marathi dish, not local to Banaras. This mistake is annoying. The love story between Titli and Ranjan shows more conflict than love. There is no talk about their dreams or future.

The part where Bhagwan takes two lakh rupees in advance and easily gets Ranjan a government job feels unrealistic. Also, Titli comes from a rich family, so why her father insists on a government job is unclear.

Rao’s Acting Stands Out

Talking about the actors, Rao is unmatched when playing small-town characters. Despite the weak story, he shows Ranjan’s hopes, struggles and efforts to get out of the time loop with full intensity. Wamiqa tries comedy for the first time and fits well as Titli, showing her innocence, stubbornness and childish side.

The supporting actors all do justice to their roles. The songs by Irshad Kamil (lyrics) and Tanishk Bagchi (music) are forgettable after the film ends.

Final Thoughts: Could Have Been Better

Bhool Chuk Maaf tries to talk about rituals, superstitions and lack of equal chances in life. It also touches on how minorities’ rights get suppressed for the majority’s benefit. But the repeated scenes, weak love story and unclear messages make it a film best forgotten soon after watching.