Karan Sharma’s “Bhool Chuk Maaf” is a movie that loses its plot astonishingly in only five minutes. Yes, that’s all it takes for you to guess the entire narrative. At its core, the story revolves around a boy, Ranjan (Rajkummar Rao), and a girl, Titli (Wamiqa Gabbi), who fall in love. But in a regressive and familiar Bollywood trope, the girl’s father insists that the boy must have a government job before he can accept their relationship. This premise sets off a chain of events laden with outlandish situations and middle-class anxieties, something that has been done repeatedly in recent Indian cinema.
What might have been the extent of the script in a straightforward romantic drama, however, takes a bizarre turn with the infusion of a time-loop concept. Co-written and directed by Karan Sharma along with Haider Rizvi, the film ambitiously attempts to blend this sci-fi narrative device with the classic rom-com framework. The result is Bollywood’s attempt at a time-loop movie — an experiment that unfortunately feels more like a gimmick than a meaningful narrative device.
There is nothing inherently wrong with subverting Bollywood’s age-old tropes using an innovative concept like a time loop. Films such as “Groundhog Day” or “Palm Springs” have shown that a repeating day motif can unlock deep emotional truths and character growth. But in “Bhool Chuk Maaf,” the time loop seems arbitrarily grafted onto a flimsy plot, and it does little to enhance the story or characters. Ranjan gets trapped in the loop for a reason that is frankly quite ridiculous — a pledge to God that he must perform a “good deed” before moving forward. Unlike the purposeful and often existential crises faced by Andy Samberg’s or Bill Murray’s characters, here the repetition feels shallow, failing to generate genuine tension or philosophical inquiry.
The time loop occupies less than an hour of the film’s runtime, and the movie could very well have been stripped of this element altogether, likely becoming a more focused and emotionally engaging tale. The comedic attempts during the looping sequences largely fall flat. The jokes rely heavily on worn-out middle-class Bollywood humor that has been recycled across countless films recently. Despite the earnest efforts of Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi, who both bring sincerity and charm to their roles, the lackluster script holds them back. With a promising supporting cast including Raghubir Yadav and Seema Pahwa, one would expect the performances to elevate the material, but even they cannot fully rescue the narrative from its structural weaknesses.
Still, credit must be given where it’s due. The film’s underlying message about the failures of bureaucracy, the importance of empathy, and the critique of selfishness in society is sincere and well-intentioned. It tries to shed light on the struggles of government job aspirants and the systemic barriers they face, personified through Hamid, a Muslim character played with quiet dignity. Hamid’s desperation to secure a government job so he can help his drought-hit village is one of the few genuinely moving elements in the story. His plight contrasts starkly with the selfishness and petty concerns that dominate the other characters, offering a window into real societal issues.
One of the few genuinely memorable moments comes when Titli jokes about Ranjan’s pledge to Lord Shiva being at odds with Hamid’s Muslim faith — a clever line that cuts through the film’s otherwise uneven tone. This small moment of humor captures a glimpse of the film’s potential to engage thoughtfully with India’s religious and cultural diversity, but sadly, it remains an isolated gem.
The climax of the film reveals Ranjan’s true “good deed” — sacrificing his own government job so Hamid can have it. This act of selflessness is supposed to be the emotional core of the movie. Yet, even here, the execution feels muddled. Ranjan’s sacrifice results in further tragedy, with Hamid attempting suicide and the heavy toll of the decision lingering over the characters. Instead of delivering a satisfying resolution, the film leaves viewers in an uneasy space, questioning the cost of goodness and the harsh realities of life.
In essence, “Bhool Chuk Maaf” is a film with commendable intentions but flawed execution. It tries to innovate within Bollywood’s romantic drama mold by adding a sci-fi twist, but the time-loop concept feels more like an afterthought than an integral part of the story. The humor is often stale, and the pacing suffers from uneven tonal shifts. The film’s social commentary, while meaningful, is sometimes overshadowed by the convoluted narrative.
Ultimately, the movie is an uneven mix of heartfelt moments and frustrating missteps. While it fails to live up to the potential of its premise or the talents of its cast, it still offers glimpses of a deeper message about sacrifice, empathy, and the human cost of societal expectations. If only the filmmakers had focused more on these emotional beats rather than relying on a gimmicky narrative device, “Bhool Chuk Maaf” might have been a genuinely compelling story rather than a missed opportunity.
