Baby John Struggles at the Box Office: Released during the Christmas season, Baby John, starring Varun Dhawan and Keerthy Suresh, was expected to make a strong impact at the box office. Directed by Kalees and presented by Atlee, the film’s trailer had raised hopes of a blockbuster. However, its performance has been underwhelming, earning only ₹19.65 crore in its first three days.
Facing Tough Competition from Blockbusters
The timing of Baby John‘s release hasn’t worked in its favor. The film faces fierce competition from established hits like Pushpa 2: The Rule and Mufasa: The Lion King. On Friday alone, Pushpa 2 earned ₹6 crore, while Mufasa collected ₹7 crore. Comparatively, Baby John managed just ₹3.65 crore, a disappointing figure for a film of its scale.
Predicted Lifetime Collection
Trade analysts have mixed opinions about the film’s future. Sumit Kadel emphasized the importance of the weekend figures, stating, “The next few days will be critical for the movie’s survival.” Another analyst, Rohit Jaiswal, predicts the lifetime collection of the film to be between ₹80-100 crore, despite its slow start.
Criticism of Content and Execution
Baby John has been labeled as a remake of Thalapathy Vijay’s Therii. Analyst Rohit Jaiswal noted that remakes need a unique touch to succeed. “Copy-paste storytelling doesn’t work. While South Indian actors can pull off certain roles, Bollywood heroes need to adapt to suit the Hindi audience’s tastes,” he remarked.
Star-Studded Cast and High Budget
Despite its star-studded cast, which includes Salman Khan in a cameo and key roles by Vamika Gabbi, Rajpal Yadav, and Jackie Shroff, Baby John has not resonated with audiences. Made on a hefty budget of ₹180 crore, the film’s underperformance has raised concerns.
Conclusion
Baby John‘s struggle at the box office highlights the challenges faced by remakes and big-budget films in meeting audience expectations. With competition from blockbuster hits and criticism of its execution, the film has a long way to go to recover its investment.