Wamiqa Gabbi has experienced a significant shift in her cinematic journey over the past six months. Her foray into mainstream commercial cinema began with the Varun Dhawan-starrer Baby John, released in December 2024. Despite its substantial budget and high anticipation, the film underperformed at the box office. In stark contrast, Wamiqa recently featured in the more modestly budgeted Bhool Chuk Maaf, which defied expectations to become a surprising commercial hit.
Baby John was Wamiqa Gabbi’s first major step into large-scale commercial cinema, a project she held high hopes for. While the film’s lukewarm reception was challenging, she didn’t allow it to discourage her. Instead, she pivoted, making a successful resurgence with Bhool Chuk Maaf. She shared her perspective on bouncing back after Baby John’s performance: “More than any hopes, for me it was about the opportunity to work with Varun, Atlee sir and Murad Khetani and be a part of their world. That in itself was a very big thing for me. I can obviously choose to look at all the negatives like what happened with the film and what didn’t. But if the film only wouldn’t have happened, what would have I done and where would I have been?” she told a leading publication.
The actor further explained her outlook, stating, “It’s up to you what you want to focus on—what didn’t happen or what did. I didn’t come empty handed from that film. I still have the experience of working with these people, being friends with them and learning from them. So, how can I ignore that? All that did something to me and shaped me in some or the other way.”
When asked how the differing outcomes of Baby John and Bhool Chuk Maaf influenced her approach to her work, Wamiqa Gabbi emphasized her belief that every film follows its own distinct path. She noted that it’s impossible to foresee a film’s performance or its resonance with audiences, citing Tamasha (2015) as an example of a film that garnered recognition years after its initial release.
Did you watch Bhool Chuk Maaf?
