Varun Dhawan’s much-awaited action-drama Baby John, directed by Kalish and produced by Atlee Kumar, failed to deliver the expected fireworks on its opening day. Despite its star-studded cast and Christmas Day release, the film managed only ₹12.5 crores on day one, a disappointing figure compared to Dhawan’s 2019 flop Kalank, which earned ₹21.6 crores on its first day.
The film’s underwhelming performance is more glaring in light of the continued success of Pushpa 2: The Rule. The Allu Arjun starrer has crossed ₹1,109 crores in just 21 days and raked in ₹19.75 crores on its third Wednesday alone. The Hindi version is on track to surpass ₹800 crores, leaving Baby John far behind.
Adding to Baby John’s woes is the unstoppable Mufasa: The Lion King, which earned ₹14.25 crores on Christmas Day, taking its Indian box office total to ₹68 crores. The Hollywood film is set to join the ₹100 crore club, bolstered by Shah Rukh Khan’s family lending their voices to its Hindi version.
With a hefty budget of ₹180 crores, Baby John faces a daunting task to recover its costs. Even star appearances by Salman Khan and Diljit Dosanjh haven’t been able to draw audiences in significant numbers. The road ahead for Baby John looks challenging.
