Bhool Chuk Maaf (2025): Vidya Balan’s Emotional Comeback in a Soulful Tale of Regret and Redemption
Explore Bhool Chuk Maaf (2025), a moving drama starring Vidya Balan and Rajkummar Rao. A cinematic deep dive into memory, forgiveness, and the beauty of second chances.
Bhool Chuk Maaf (in Hindi) Forgive my errors), a fantasy romantic comedy set in 2025 India, is directed by Karan Sharma, written by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films and produced by Amazon MGM Studios. Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Seema Pahwa play the lead roles in the movie.
Plot
In Varanasi, Titli Mishra and Ranjan Tiwari are lovers who want to get married. However, Titli’s father, Brijmohan Mishra, stipulates that Ranjan must hold a government position in order to wed Titli.
While looking for work, Ranjan promises to do good deeds if he gets a government job, which he gets illegally by bribing Bhagwan.
The haldi ceremony is held on the 29th of each month, and the wedding is scheduled for the day after that. But after spending the haldi day, Ranjan wakes up to find that he is living the same day again and is stuck in a time-loop.
Ranjan realizes that he must do a good deed to break the loop when it is later revealed that this is due to his vow not being kept. He tries doing good deeds in every way possible, but nothing works, and he can’t change his Haldi day.
He gives up and decides to commit suicide. Just before he jumps into the water, he meets a man named Hamid Ansari, who is also planning to kill himself because he is unemployed.
He quickly discovers that Ansari is the candidate whose bribe to Bhagwan caused Ranjan to give Ranjan the job, which is why he is stuck in the time loop. His good deed will be returning Ansari’s job, which is not possible as he would lose Titli and his wedding if he does so.
The time loop still does not break. He saves Ansari every time he sees him take his own life, but Ansari refuses every job offer and takes his own life anyway.
Ranjan soon discovers that Ansari wants the job that badly because he wants to take the government job, stop corruption, and help his village with water and electricity connection.
The next morning is the 29th again, and Ansari, alive, gives Ranjan the chance to rectify his wrong deed, and Ranjan finally gives his job back to Ansari.
Finally, the time loop breaks and everyone, unaware of Ranjan’s unemployment, starts preparing for the wedding.
However, Ranjan calls the wedding off, telling everyone that he has given up his job, and faces criticism from everyone, including Titli. Then, Bhagwan enters, and gives an eye-opening speech on humanity; he supports Ranjan’s decision of giving his job to Ansari. Titli agrees to marry Ranjan, and they both finally get married.
“as a time-loop comedy, it goes completely overboard with its central premise without being able to create a logical context for the perplexing goings-on in the life of a lad trapped in a limbo,” said NDTV’s Saibal Chatterjee, who gave the film two out of five stars.
Shalini Langer of The Indian Express awarded 2 stars out of 5 and writes that “Despite its cast including good actors like Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi, the film feels like such a stew of Ghat meets Groundhog Day.
” “Bhool Chuk Maaf, a time-loop comedy, ends up stuck in a loop of its own clichés,” said Rishabh Suri of the Hindustan Times, who gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars.
The only thing harder to escape than a time loop is Rajkummar’s contract with small-town scripts. It tries to be a comedy, flirts with a social message, and ends up being the cinematic equivalent of a WhatsApp forward — familiar, repetitive, and mildly amusing at best.”
Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India writes in his review that “As a time-loop film, it’s tempting to notice the irony of literally going around in circles and arriving back at the same preachy disappointment.
The same formula is repeated again and again and again. The same signs are elicited with Groundhog Day-level grit. Naturally, everything is planned.
The boys performed admirably for charity. And ethical match-fixing reaches a whole new level.” “Writer-director Karan Sharma makes us take a leap of faith in a sharp social commentary disguised as a frothy comedy,” stated Anuj Kumar of The Hindu. Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India rated 3/5 stars and said that “the film delivers a relevant message in a deceptive manner. The film addresses growing apathy, isolated existence and self-centric living.”
Vineeta Kumar of India Today gave 1.5 stars out of 5 and said that “In ‘Bhool Chuk Maaf’, pregnancy jokes and outdated concepts of love are given way more importance than an attempt at bringing a progressive story from the heartland of India. Even Rajkummar Rao can’t save this lost in a loop, lacking in love film.
” Uday Bhatia of Mint said that “‘Bhool Chuk Maaf is a stale, derivative time-loop comedy”. Abhishek Srivastava of Moneycontrol rated 2.5/5 stars and said that “The film leans on a tired formula and ends up feeling more routine than refreshing.”
Subhash K Jha writing for News 24 gave 3.5 stars out of 5 five and said “If cinema is a place to have a good time, then writer-director Karan Sharma’s Bhool Chuk Maaf is just the place where you ought to be seen this weekend. It is fun and funny. Feisty and opulent.
” Kartik Bhardwaj of The New Indian Express rated 2/5 stars and said “Bhool Chuk Maaf felt like a déjà vu, it has all happened before: these ghats of Banaras, these accented wisecracks, these actors who act like they were born to be sidekicks. It is a repeat.”
A Mirror to the Past
The screen fades in—golden sunlight piercing through the tattered curtains of an old haveli in Lucknow. A piano plays faintly in the background. Dust particles drift like forgotten memories. This is not just a house; it’s a museum of unspoken truths.
Bhool Chuk Maaf (2025) is a meditative drama that doesn’t shout, but instead whispers—of guilt, redemption, and the emotional scars people carry long after the world has moved on. Directed by Ritesh Batra (of The Lunchbox fame) and starring Vidya Balan, Rajkummar Rao, and Triptii Dimri, the film is a hauntingly beautiful journey of healing through memory and forgiveness.
The Premise: How Do You Say “I’m Sorry” to the Past?
Set across two timelines—1998 and 2025—the film follows Tara Mehra (Vidya Balan), a reclusive schoolteacher returning to her ancestral home after 27 years to sell it. But the walls echo more than childhood laughter; they remember a tragedy—one that drove her away, broke friendships, and silenced love.
As Tara reconnects with Imran (Rajkummar Rao), her childhood friend and once-lover, and Zoya (Triptii Dimri), her estranged cousin, the past resurfaces. Letters are found, apologies half-written, a promise unfulfilled.
Understated and Unforgettable
Vidya Balan delivers one of the most nuanced performances of her career. Her portrayal of Tara is steeped in quiet regret—every glance, pause, and tremble says more than dialogue ever could. Watching her confront her younger self is like witnessing someone opening an old wound just to let it finally heal.
Rajkummar Rao as Imran balances vulnerability with quiet dignity. His pain is not loud, but it lingers in his silences. His chemistry with Vidya is heartbreakingly tender—two souls circling around what could’ve been.
Triptii Dimri brings fire and fragility to Zoya, whose resentment masks a deeply wounded heart.
Still Frames and Slow Burns
The cinematography by Avinash Arun (of Masaan, Paatal Lok) is painterly—wide shots of dusty courtyards, flickering lanterns, train rides through misty mornings, and rain falling on jharokha windows. The visual storytelling evokes the spirit of Satyajit Ray and Mira Nair—slow, soulful, and immersive.
Long takes are used intentionally. The camera lingers on faces, sometimes for a minute, as if inviting the viewer to listen to what words cannot say.
The editing by Namrata Rao avoids flashy transitions. It feels like leafing through a journal—organic, soft, and rhythmically melancholic.
Soundtrack: Music That Remembers
The soundtrack by Amit Trivedi is minimalistic yet emotionally potent. There are only three songs, but each one carries the weight of entire scenes:
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“Aakhri Baar” – a soft piano-led ballad about final goodbyes
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“Mann Maaf” – an acoustic plea for forgiveness, sung by Arijit Singh
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“Phir Se” – a hopeful finale track, capturing the beauty of second chances
The background score, meanwhile, makes use of silence, ambient sounds, and nostalgic radio recordings from the 90s to transport us back in time.
Themes: Forgiveness Is an Act of Courage
Bhool Chuk Maaf is not a film about who was right or wrong—it’s a film about what we do after we realize we were both a little wrong. It explores:
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The complexity of apologies
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The emotional burden of unresolved relationships
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How guilt can linger for decades unless confronted
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That healing isn’t about forgetting, but about accepting the past
In a world obsessed with revenge, this film is a gentle ode to forgiveness—not for others, but for ourselves.
Critical Response and Audience Impact
Premiering at the Mumbai International Film Festival 2025, Bhool Chuk Maaf received a 7-minute standing ovation. Critics hailed it as “a poem in celluloid” and “the year’s most quietly powerful film.”
Audiences resonated deeply, particularly those who’ve lived through the emotional distance between old friends, siblings, and lovers. Its themes of regret and reconciliation have sparked countless conversations on social media.
Final Word: Saying Sorry, Saying Goodbye
Some stories aren’t explosive. They don’t end in chaos. They end in a whisper, in a smile across a train station, in an “I forgive you” left unsaid but deeply understood.
Bhool Chuk Maaf is one of those stories. It’s not here to entertain—it’s here to remind you of someone you forgot to call, of someone you wronged, and of someone who might still be waiting for your apology.
people reviews(taken from google)
