Baby John Struggles at the Box Office Despite Christmas Release

The Varun Dhawan, Keerthy Suresh, and Wamiqa Gabbi-starrer Baby John, a remake of the Tamil film Theri, hit theatres on Christmas Day to mixed reviews but has struggled to maintain momentum at the box office. Despite being backed by filmmaker Atlee, known for blockbusters like Jawan and Theri, the film has not met commercial expectations.

As per data from Sacnilk.com, the film earned ₹1.61 crore on its sixth day, bringing its total collection to ₹30.26 crore. “Baby John had its lowest single-day collections so far on its first Monday,” noted reports. Opening with a decent ₹11.25 crore on December 25, the film saw a sharp decline from its second day and has failed to recover since. Monday’s occupancy was a mere 9.72%, further highlighting its struggle to attract audiences.

In stark contrast, Pushpa 2: The Rule continues to dominate the box office. The Allu Arjun-starrer, currently in its third week, amassed ₹6.65 crore on its 26th day, surpassing Baby John’s day six earnings.

The film, directed by Kalees and presented by Atlee, also features Salman Khan in a cameo appearance. However, even star power and a dual-role narrative—a hallmark of Atlee’s style, seen previously in Jawan—have not resonated with audiences.

Critics, too, have been divided. An excerpt from the Hindustan Times review remarked, “The film starts off on a very choppy note, and there’s no soul for about 40 minutes. There’s no sense of direction, and the cute girl bossing around her dad has no effect.”

While Baby John was expected to capitalize on the festive season and the success of its original counterpart, it remains to be seen if the film can regain footing in the coming days or if it will be overshadowed by stronger contenders at the box office.