Case Study: How Bhool Chuk Maaf used fictional job ads & social banter to build its story arc through meme-led storytelling

The promotional campaign for Bhool Chuk Maaf, steered away from the film’s sci-fi elements and instead spotlighted its comedic wedding-centred narrative. Framed around the film’s haldi pe atak gaya twist, the campaign positioned the title as a broad-based family entertainer.

Marketing efforts began with a pre-trailer rollout featuring fictional job and matrimonial listings, followed by social media banter between lead actors Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi, all in character. The campaign further employed a mix of meme content, cast-led videos, music nostalgia, and creator reactions, supplemented by branded collaborations, including one with Swiggy. Together, these tactics built sustained visibility across platforms. According to the team, the campaign garnered over 203 million views and wide online engagement in the lead-up to the film’s release.

Category Introduction

India’s cinema market is poised for strong growth, with revenue projected to reach US\$5.01 billion in 2025 and expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.65% to hit US\$6.29 billion by 2030. Viewer numbers are forecasted to climb to 670.5 million by 2030, with user penetration rising from 40.2% in 2025 to 44.3%. The average revenue per viewer is set to reach US\$8.57. This resurgence is being fuelled by a shift toward innovative storytelling and a surge in demand for diverse, relatable content—particularly among younger audiences, positioning India as a dynamic and evolving force in the global cinema landscape, second only to the United States in projected revenue.

Brand Introduction

Maddock Films is a Mumbai-based film production company founded by Dinesh Vijan in 2005. The studio has produced a range of Hindi-language films across genres, including titles like Love Aaj Kal, Badlapur, Hindi Medium, and Mimi. It is also behind the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe, which includes Stree, Bhediya, and Munjya. The company owns subsidiaries such as Illuminati Films and Maddock Outsider, and has received backing from Nepean Capital. While its primary focus remains on theatrical releases, Maddock has also begun producing content for digital platforms and television, though its activity in television is comparatively limited.

Summary

The Bhool Chuk Maaf campaign by Maddock Films and White Rivers Media focused on highlighting the film’s central premise, a wedding stuck on an endlessly repeating haldi day. The marketing avoided any references to time loops or science fiction, instead framing the situation as comedic wedding confusion. Activity began with fictional job and matrimonial listings on meme pages, followed by an in-character exchange between the lead actors on Instagram. The campaign included cast videos, meme content, influencer reviews, city-specific promotions, and a collaboration with Swiggy to expand reach. The approach centred on digital engagement through humour, relatability, and platform-specific content.

Objective

• Position the film Bhool Chuk Maaf as a mainstream family-focused title.

• Highlight the central narrative quirk: the wedding date keeps getting delayed, with the haldi ceremony repeating.

• Introduce the lead characters by drawing attention to the personal and situational issues they encounter.

• Showcase the household dynamics among the characters to build relatability around family scenarios.

Creative Idea

Pre-Trailer

• Shared a fictional 'Sarkari Naukri' job listing for the character Ranjan on a job portal; the post was circulated by meme pages.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Naukri.com (@naukridotcom)

• A parallel 'Groom Wanted' ad for the character Titli was initiated by Sagarcasm and picked up by other meme accounts.

• Later that day, actor Rajkummar Rao shared the job listing on Instagram, identifying himself as Ranjan, Wamiqa Gabbi responded, identifying herself as Titli.

• The interaction between the characters created online conversation ahead of the trailer launch.

Shoulder Content

• Produced short videos featuring the cast that depicted the recurring haldi day and character dynamics.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RajKummar Rao (@rajkummar_rao)

• Developed meme-oriented content for social platforms to reflect the tone of the film and encourage informal sharing.

• Released music intended to evoke familiarity and connection with domestic themes.

Challenges

• There was a risk of the narrative being misread as science fiction or time-loop based due to the recurring haldi setup.

• Post-trailer, efforts were made to clarify that the film centres around wedding chaos rather than speculative fiction.

• The campaign ran alongside competing film releases (Raid 2, Bhootni), requiring additional visibility strategies.

Execution

• Ran a meme campaign to introduce characters and announce the film’s release date.

• Conducted a YouTube reviewer outreach campaign in which creators discussed the film’s genre and storyline clarity.

• Shared short-form video content featuring the lead cast, posted collaboratively on their profiles.

• Introduced a Bhool Chuk Maaf emoji to encourage digital engagement.

• Partnered with Swiggy for trailer launch integrations:

• Rolled out a map feature with film characters depicted as food delivery personnel.

• Placed clickable banners and menu placements linking to the trailer.

• Produced a 'Relationshit Advice' episode hosted by Raunaq featuring comedians and actor Rajkummar Rao, where relationship themes were discussed in reference to the film’s concept.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Maddock Films (@maddockfilms)

• Documented appearances at events (e.g., Waves) and city tours via social content including reels, carousels, and stories.

Results

• As of 11 May 2025, the film was listed as the most anticipated Indian film on IMDb.

• The pre-launch campaign gathered over 203 million views across Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

• A trailer review by MrCinephiler recorded over 10 million views on Instagram.

• Coverage of the trailer was published by India Today, Hindustan Times, NDTV, ABP News, Bollywood Hungama, and other media platforms, commenting on its presentation and narrative framing.