Baby John Box Office First Day: Varun Dhawan’s film opens with Rs 12.5 crore
Varun Dhawan’s Baby John had a modest opening on Christmas Day, which was overshadowed by the continued success of Pushpa 2. The intense competition at the box office was further heightened by other releases including Max.
This Christmas was a mixed bag for Bollywood, with Varun Dhawan’s much-awaited Baby John earning a modest collection. According to tracking website SacnilkThe film earned an estimated Rs 12.5 crore in India on its first day. Despite the holidays, Baby John struggled to overtake Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2: The Rule, which earned Rs 19.75 crore on its 21st day in theatres. The continued dominance of Pushpa 2 and the success of Mufasa heavily influenced Baby John’s performance.
Featuring Varun Dhawan in an action-packed role, Baby John was initially projected to earn Rs 13 crore on its opening day, but fell short of expectations due to mixed reviews. On its release day, Baby John, which also stars Keerthy Suresh, Vamika Gabbi and Jackie Shroff, recorded an overall Hindi occupancy of 24.97 percent, while the evening show saw a high occupancy rate of 30.89 percent.
Despite receiving unfavorable reviews, Baby John recorded Varun Dhawan’s best opening at the box office in the last five years. In comparison, Bhediya earned Rs 7.48 crore on the first day, while Jugjug Jio earned Rs 9.28 crore on its opening day.
Watch the trailer of Baby John here:
Competition heats up with the Christmas screening of Kannada action thriller Max starring Pushpa 2, Mufasa and Kiccha Sudeep. However, Max turned out to be a surprise blockbuster, achieving an opening of Rs 10 crore in 2024, breaking the record for a Kannada film. With strong word-of-mouth, Max is poised for a strong extended weekend.
Meanwhile, Baby John marks Varun Dhawan’s return to theaters after his digital venture Citadel: Honey Bunny, which premiered in October. Despite the tough competition, the coming days will be crucial for the film to prove its potential at the box office.
India Today’s review of the film stated, “Where the film fails is in its attempt to cater to the mass genre with its heroics and masala. The makers touch on touchy issues like women’s safety, but everything remains superficial and choreographed. Even with the high-speed shots, the visuals don’t create the emotional impact they should and that’s probably why you never feel invested in the narrative.
Baby John is directed by Kellys, co-produced by Atlee and Priya Atlee, and is the Hindi adaptation of the Tamil blockbuster, Theri, starring Vijay in the lead role.
