Despite a festive release and an extended weekend, Varun Dhawan’s ‘Baby John’ underperforms, struggling to recover its ₹160 crore budget.
December 30, 2024: Varun Dhawan’s much-anticipated action film Baby John, directed by Kalees and produced by Atlee, has failed to create the expected buzz at the box office. Despite the hype generated by its trailer and teaser and an extended festive weekend release, the movie has seen a sharp decline in collections after its opening day.
Box Office Performance
As per trade tracker Sacnilk, Baby John earned approximately ₹4.75 crore on its fifth day, slightly better than its performance on Saturday. However, its total domestic collection stands at ₹28.65 crore after five days, with a nett India collection of ₹23.9 crore and a gross India collection of ₹28.7 crore.
Internationally, the movie managed to earn ₹8 crore, bringing the global box office total to ₹36.7 crore. With a reported budget of ₹160 crore, the film faces an uphill battle to recover its costs.
Occupancy Insights
On Sunday, the film registered an overall occupancy of 17.38%, with the evening shows seeing maximum footfalls. The city-wise breakdown indicates:
- Chennai: 39.75% occupancy (69 shows)
- Pune: 24.25% occupancy (213 shows)
- Mumbai: 23.75% occupancy (563 shows)
- Delhi NCR: 13.75% occupancy (921 shows)
The movie is running across 3,490 shows in India.
Christmas Release & Comparison
Historically, Christmas releases have been dominated by Aamir Khan, but this year, Varun Dhawan took the spotlight. While Baby John had one of the highest opening day collections for a remake and marked Varun Dhawan’s best opening in five years, it failed to maintain momentum over the following days.
About the Film
Baby John is the Hindi adaptation of Atlee’s Tamil blockbuster ‘Theri’ (2016). The movie stars Varun Dhawan, Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Jackie Shroff in key roles, with a special cameo by Salman Khan.
Produced by A for Apple Productions, Cine1 Studios, and Jio Studios, the film had high expectations riding on its shoulders, but its current box office trajectory suggests a tough road ahead.
The coming weeks will determine if Baby John can manage to pull off a miraculous turnaround or fade into box office obscurity.
Tags:
Varun Dhawan, Baby John Box Office, Bollywood Box Office, Atlee, Hindi Remake, Baby John Collection, Kalees, Salman Khan Cameo, Bollywood Action Movies, Christmas Releases.
