There’s just something so cozy about seeing Rajkummar Rao on screen. He’s the face of lovable small-town heroes, and whenever he enters a frame, you’re guaranteed an honest performance is about to unfold. With Bhool Chuk Maaf, new director Karan Sharma tries to mix and match romance, comedy, and fantasy into a time-loop story against the colourful backdrop of Banaras. But does it succeed? Well, let’s just say, much like its hero, the film too gets caught in one too many repeats.
The Premise: A Wedding, A Time Loop, and a Whole Lot of Confusion
At the center of Bhool Chuk Maaf is Ranjan Tiwari (played by Rajkummar Rao), a Banaras boy who’s head over heels for Titli Mishra (Wamiqa Gabbi). The two are set to marry, but there’s a condition – her dad won’t sign off on it unless Ranjan gets a government job. That’s where Bhagwaan Das (Sanjay Mishra) comes in, a shady job fixer who takes Ranjan’s cash and vanishes.
But just when things seem to fall into place, Ranjan finds himself reliving the day of his Haldi ceremony over and over again. The classic time-loop trope kicks in, and he’s caught in an unending cycle that he just can’t break. If this sounds like Groundhog Day in Banaras – you’re not wrong.
Rajkummar Rao: A Reliable Performer Trapped in Familiar Territory
Rao’s acting, of course, is pitch-perfect as ever. His ability to craft zippy one-liners, his diction mastery of dialects, and the subtle emotional weight he lends even to the most fanciful narratives are all on show. There is a true sincerity to Ranjan, and Rao brings him to life with sympathy and charm.
But here’s the problem – we’ve seen this avatar of Rao too many times now. From Stree to Bareilly Ki Barfi, to Roohi and Ludo, Rao has carved a niche for himself in small-town comedies. While it works to an extent in Bhool Chuk Maaf, there’s a growing sense that he’s overdue for a role that challenges him to step outside this well-worn zone.
Wamiqa Gabbi: The Surprise Package
In contrast, Wamiqa Gabbi’s Titli is a breath of fresh air. She plays the “papa ki pari” trope with a delightful twist – Titli isn’t just a pretty face. She’s assertive, self-aware, and doesn’t shy away from calling out nonsense. Gabbi’s comic timing is surprisingly sharp, and she shares an easy chemistry with Rao that becomes more palpable as the film progresses.
Her performance indicates she might be a contender in the rom-com world in the future. She imbues a movie that frequently vacillates between tone with both spunk and warmth.
A First-Time Director's Ambitious Swing
Karan Sharma directs for the first time with Bhool Chuk Maaf, and the effort is worthy. It is innovative to take a time-loop concept and blend it within the backdrop of a conventional Indian wedding setting. To place it in Banaras, with its energy of disorder and cultural richeness, adds an aestheticic beauty.
But Sharma’s direction often falls short of his ambition. The film’s first half spends much, much longer than necessary to set up the premise. Although dialogues sparkle here and there, the script is not consistent in that regard. There are some bits of comedy and emotional moments that don’t quite take off since the story is confused about which tone it should take – absurd humor, social satire, or romantic drama?
Stuck in a Loop of Its Own
Time-loop stories are most effective when there’s some kind of strong narrative or emotional anchor to make the repetition worth it. Bhool Chuk Maaf is disappointing in this regard, as it doesn’t have a good payoff to its interesting premise. Ranjan’s experience feels shallow, with nothing being delved into about what the loop is teaching him or how he develops from it.
Instead, we’re subjected to multiple replays of the same day, interspersed with comic gags and emotional outbursts that don’t evolve the story meaningfully. The plot twist in the second half promises intrigue but ends up feeling rushed and undercooked.
Supporting Cast: Wasted Potential
The movie has a wonderful ensemble cast – Sanjay Mishra, Raghubir Yadav, Seema Pahwa, and Ishtiyak Khan – all of whom have impeccable comic timing. But they are criminally wasted. Mishra’s appearance as conman Bhagwaan Das is a a standout but brief moment. Pahwa, playing Ranjan’s pickle vendor mother, has two great moments but should have had more screen space and substance.
One of the keenest scenes is when she cries out the helplessness of the men that live in her home, who booze and banter while she bears the weight of the family. It’s one of the only times that the film suggests something more on the horizon but leaves it alone.
Banaras: A Character in Itself
One of the strongest aspects of the film is its location. Cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee does Banaras justice in all its mad glory – from crowded side-streets and energetic ghats to local celebrations and family gossip. There’s a natural, lived-in look to the images that draws you into the rhythm of the town.
However, even the picturesque visuals can’t always compensate for the film’s narrative shortcomings. The setting feels more like a beautiful backdrop than an integral part of the story.
Songs, Speeches, and Slips
The music by Tanishk Bagchi is situational – it works within the film but doesn’t leave a lasting impression. The mandatory bachelor party sequence serves as a pretext for an item number that adds little value.
And then the climax – an abrupt monologue on morality, acts of kindness, and God’s justice. It is jarring, to say the least, particularly in a comedy-labeled film. Rather than concluding the loop with emotional impact or even with a whimsical revelation, the movie takes a turn to become a moral homily and forgets its genre.
Where's the Chemistry?
A rom-com lives and dies on the chemistry between its leads, and Rao and Gabbi do finally get along, if unremarkably, but their early scenes lack spark. Fault it on the writing or the clunky build of the first half, but their romance too long arrives in feeling made-up.
In ensemble comedies of this nature, the rapport between the cast is key. Unfortunately, Bhool Chuk Maaf doesn’t create enough of a sense of plausible camaraderie or conflict in its supporting cast. The insults and one-liners fail to land as forcefully as they did in Maddock’s previous efforts like Stree or Luka Chuppi.
Comedy or Confusion?
The largest “bhool” of Bhool Chuk Maaf is its identity crisis. It’s sold as a comedy, starts off as a rom-com, gets into fantasy tropes, and ends up as a morality lecture. This genre confusion has the audience guessing what they’re in for – laughs, romance, or a life lesson?
Movies such as Hera Pheri or Golmaal never needed to drive home messages – they were shamelessly silly. Bhool Chuk Maaf attempts to be profound and winds up being confusing.
Final Verdict: Watchable, But Forgettable
Bhool Chuk Maaf isn’t a bad movie – it’s just one that never quite reaches the height of its promise. There are sparks of genius, grounded by the dependable Rajkummar Rao and the breezy Wamiqa Gabbi. The concept is enjoyable, the visuals are bright, and there is the occasional humour that pays off.
But the film falters in its storytelling, pacing, and emotional depth. It loops around the same ideas without adding enough layers or surprises. For a debut effort, Karan Sharma shows potential, but he’ll need stronger scripts and sharper narrative direction to make a lasting impact.
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