The Real Bhool Chuk is PVR Inox Taking on Maddock Films – A Studio That Champions Cinema
This is not just about law and order; this is about a huge cultural blasphemy. “Bhool Chuk Maaf” hits theatres on May 23, which is when the decision was to be taken.
Where most studios are going digital, Maddock Films remains standing for theatrical release. So what PVR Inox is attempting to do legally against Maddock Films for Bhool Chuk Maaf is much more than a mere matter of business. By not regarding Maddock as one of the few associates intent on keeping cinema alive on the big screen, the motion by PVR Inox may rub off on other studios, to the detriment of viewers who hate the idea of experience films in a theatre.
Taking Maddock Films into court for its recent release *Bhool Chuk Maaf* was not an accusatory move, especially since the company has always stood for theatrical releases. The production house has, in fact, prieced the ₹2,500 crore mark in the past two years with films like Stree 2, Chhaava, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, and Munjya. Even post-pandemic, Maddock Films went out on a limb for theatres by releasing Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, a small-town film that surprisingly did well at the box office. The right attitude for a powerhouse of production cinema-favouring theatrical cinema for so long!
The hold-up, then, is the symbolism of a defiant, the hard choice to embrace real-life priorities over profits. The nation from on high has greater issues, come down to a choice of being conscious, being responsible, and being grounded that happens to be in this moment.
PVR had contended that Maddock Films violated the traditional *8-week window rule* which stipulated that a film must be allowed an exclusive theatrical run of at least 8 weeks before it is released on an OTT platform. While such norms may have made sense back then, when everything was so focused on the theatres and digital access was limited. Today, the very behavior of audiences has changed. It is clearer now that, especially during these uncertain times around the India-Pakistan conflict, many viewers want to stay safe and enjoy their choice at home.
What one wishes to term an attempt to safeguard one’s own interests at the cost of production houses attempting to make nimble and audience-centric decisions than adapting to the changing landscape.
Theatres have always adjusted windowing timelines as per their convenience-and so the insistence of PVR Inox to stick to an outdated windowing model feels almost as if it were betraying its own interests. Especially with a studio like this, who has been a consistent contributor to the box office, this holds rigid norms more of an optical ego battle rather than genuine concern for industry standards.
The decision therefore was clearly between anarchy and collaboration. PVR Inox chose to stick to archaic practices, making it the holdback for future progress within the industry.
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