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Indian star Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi on a poster of 'Bhool Chuk Maaf'.
Maddock Films
Indian production house Maddock Films faces major legal roadblock just days ahead of its latest release, the Hindi film Bhool Chuk Maaf. In wake of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the film’s theatrical release was cancelled. The producers announced a direct-to-digital release on May 16. Soon, India’s largest movie chain PVR INOX approached Bombay High Court seeking $7 million damages. The court has now ordered a stay on the digital release of the film till June 16, according to reports.
Bhool Chuk Maaf: No Theatrical Release?
A day ahead of the scheduled May 9 release, a statement from the production house announced cancellation of the theatrical release. “In light of recent events and the heightened security drills across the nation, we at Maddock Films and Amazon MGM Studios have decided to bring our family entertainer, Bhool Chuk Maaf, directly to your homes on May 16 - only on Prime Video, worldwide. While we were eagerly looking forward to celebrating this film with you in theaters, the spirit of the nation comes first. Jai Hind!”
That announcement came in the way of the usual eight-week window that producers and exhibitors usually agree upon for films and their theatrical and digital releases. For Bhool Chuk Maaf, PVR INOX and Maddock signed a deal on May 6 stating that Bhool Bhuk Maaf will not land online before completing eight weeks of its theatrical release, a Livemint report said. In their appeal to the court, PVR Inox alleged that the last minute change was a breach of contract.
The report quoted the court as observing that since PVR Inox promoted the film, reserved screens and offered advance booking tickets to consumers, the sudden cancellation affects the movie chain’s reputation. The court, then stayed the digital release of the film till June 16. June 16 is the date that completes the film’s eight-week window for a digital release, if it were to release in theatres on May 9.
Bhool Chuk Maaf legal war: Trade speak
Exhibitor Vishek Chauhan calls the decision to switch from theatrical to digital a pragmatic one. “The decision to release the film directly on OTT was a pragmatic one—driven by nonexistent pre-release buzz and a deteriorating geopolitical and economic climate, not by a lack of faith in theatrical exhibition. Maddock’s track record speaks volumes. In a post-COVID landscape where most production houses have struggled to deliver hits, Maddock has stood out with theatrical blockbusters like Stree 2 and Chhaava. Their commitment to cinemas is not just intact—it’s exceptional," he wrote on social media.
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