Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday allowed the theatrical release of Bhool Chuk Maaf, starring Rajkummar Rao, following a settlement between production house Maddock Films and cinema chain PVR Inox. The film is now set to hit theatres on May 23, after which it can be released on OTT without the earlier mandated 8-week waiting period.
The development comes after Maddock Films appealed a stay order passed last week by a single-judge, which had restrained the film’s release on any platform — including OTT.
The appeal was heard by a division bench of Justices Kamal Khata and Advait Sethna. During the hearing, both parties submitted consent terms, wherein PVR agreed to reduce the mandatory holdback period, paving the way for the film’s immediate OTT release post its theatrical run.
Initially, Bhool Chuk Maaf was scheduled to release in PVR Inox theatres on May 9, followed by an OTT release eight weeks later. However, citing rising Indo-Pak tensions and national security concerns, Maddock decided to cancel the theatrical release and instead go directly to OTT by May 16.
This abrupt change prompted PVR to move the High Court, alleging breach of contract. It contended that the cinema chain had entered into an agreement with Maddock for the theatrical release. He submitted that PVR had spent significantly on promotions and ticketing arrangements based on this agreement, and the sudden termination had caused loss and reputational damage.
On May 9, Justice Arif Doctor stayed the OTT release of the film, observing that PVR had fulfilled its obligations and invested in promoting the film. “The sudden cancellation would affect PVR’s reputation and goodwill,” the court had noted.
