Varun Dhawan’s latest film Baby John opened to a lukewarm response at the box office, earning approximately ₹12.5 crore on its first day, December 25, 2024. The film, a remake of Vijay’s Theri, faced tough competition from other releases, including Pushpa 2, which outperformed it significantly.
Baby John, directed by Kalees and featuring Keerthy Suresh and Wamiqa Gabbi, was released on Christmas Day, a strategic choice aimed at maximizing audience turnout. Despite the holiday boost, the film’s collection fell short of expectations and was lower than Theri, which had an opening day collection of ₹13.1 crore in 2016.
Early estimates indicate that Baby John recorded a 24.53% occupancy rate in Hindi-speaking markets. The film’s mixed reviews may have contributed to its underwhelming performance. Industry analysts had projected a stronger opening, with expectations of around ₹13 crore.
The competition for Baby John was fierce, particularly from Pushpa 2, which grossed ₹19.75 crore on the same day, marking its continued success weeks after its release. Additionally, other films like Mufasa: The Lion King also drew audiences away.
As the weekend progresses, industry insiders hope that Baby John will see an uptick in collections as word-of-mouth spreads and families look for entertainment during the holiday season. The film was produced on a substantial budget of ₹180 crore, making its box office performance critical for its financial success.
In summary, while Baby John had a decent start with ₹12.5 crore, it has not managed to surpass the opening collections of its predecessors or competitors, leaving fans and analysts eager to see how it performs in the coming days.
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