Varun Dhawan's Baby John struggles with Rs 12 crore collection amid Allu Arjun's Pushpa craze

This Christmas brought mixed fortunes for Bollywood as Varun Dhawan's highly anticipated Baby John opened to a modest start at the box office. According to Sacnilk, the film collected an estimated Rs 12.5 crore in India on its opening day. Despite the holiday buzz, the film faced stiff competition from Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2: The Rule and other festive releases.

Pushpa 2: The Rule, already in its third week, continued to dominate with Rs 19.75 crore on its 21st day, overshadowing Baby John’s performance. Adding to the challenge was the success of Mufasa and the unexpected rise of Kannada action thriller Max, starring Kichcha Sudeep, which broke records with a Rs 10 crore opening — the highest for a Kannada film in 2024.

Baby John introduced Varun Dhawan in a high-octane action role, supported by Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Jackie Shroff. While pre-release projections estimated a Rs 13 crore opening, the film fell slightly short, registering a 24.97% overall occupancy on release day, with evening shows peaking at 30.89%.

Despite mixed reviews, Baby John marked Varun Dhawan’s highest opening in the past five years, outperforming Bhediya (Rs 7.48 crore) and Jugjugg Jeeyo (Rs 9.28 crore). The film, however, failed to fully capitalize on the festive season and faces critical days ahead to maintain its momentum.

In its review, India Today criticized the film for lacking emotional depth despite its masala genre appeal. "Where the film fails is in its attempt to cater to the mass genre with its heroism and masala. The makers do touch upon poignant issues like women's safety, but everything feels superficial and choreographed. Even with high-speed shots, the scenes don't evoke the emotional impact they should. And that's probably why you never truly feel invested in the narrative."

Directed by Kalees and co-produced by Atlee and Priya Atlee, Baby John is the Hindi adaptation of the Tamil blockbuster Theri, which featured Vijay in the lead role. Varun Dhawan’s portrayal as the titular character was anticipated to be a crowd-puller, especially after his digital stint in Citadel: Honey Bunny, which premiered in October.

The festive season saw heightened competition, with screenings of Pushpa 2, Mufasa, and Max. Among these, Max emerged as a surprise hit, propelled by strong word-of-mouth and a solid extended weekend forecast.

While Baby John struggled to make a significant mark on its opening day, it still managed to achieve a milestone for Varun Dhawan. The coming days will determine whether the film can hold its ground amidst fierce competition and mixed audience reception.