Varun Dhawan’s latest release, Baby John, is facing a challenging run at the box office, having collected only ₹35.43 crore in its first eight days. Released on Christmas Day, the film has struggled to maintain audience interest and has already lost approximately 2,500 shows within a week of its release.
Box Office Performance
As of January 2, 2025, Baby John has shown little growth since its opening weekend. The film debuted with a promising ₹11.25 crore on its first day but saw a significant drop to ₹4.75 crore on its second day. The trend continued, with the film earning just ₹2.75 crore on January 1, according to early estimates from industry tracker Sacnilk.
Day-wise India Net Collection:
- Day 1 [December 25]: ₹11.25 Cr
- Day 2 [December 26]: ₹4.75 Cr
- Day 3 [December 27]: ₹3.65 Cr
- Day 4 [December 28]: ₹4.25 Cr
- Day 5 [December 29]: ₹4.75 Cr
- Day 6 [December 30]: ₹1.85 Cr
- Day 7 [December 31]: ₹2.15 Cr
- Day 8 [January 1]: ₹2.75 Cr (rough data)
This brings the total collection to ₹35.43 crore, with trade experts predicting that the film may only reach around ₹60 crore in its lifetime.
Audience Reception and Occupancy Rates
Despite being a holiday release, the film has struggled to attract audiences, achieving an overall occupancy rate of only 22.38% on January 1, with around 1,800 shows across India. The drastic reduction in shows indicates a lack of interest from viewers compared to competing films like Pushpa 2: The Rule, which continues to perform well at the box office.
About the Film
Directed by Kalees, Baby John features an ensemble cast that includes:
- Varun Dhawan as DCP Satya Verma / Baby John
- Keerthy Suresh as Dr. Meera Verma
- Wamiqa Gabbi as Tara / Adhira Verman IPS
- Jackie Shroff as Babbar Sher / Nanaji
- Zara Zyanna as Khushi Verma
- Rajpal Yadav as Head Constable Ram Sevak
- Salman Khan (special cameo)
The film is produced by Atlee and was made on a substantial budget of ₹160 crore, making its current performance particularly disappointing for stakeholders.
Critical Reception and Ratings
The film has received mixed reviews from critics:
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: Not available yet
- IMDb Rating: 4.5/10
- Indian Express Rating: 1/5 – Criticized for being “bloated and incoherent,” with a lack of engaging content.
Critics have pointed out that while it attempts to deliver action-packed sequences, it ultimately falls short of captivating audiences.
Financial Overview
With its current trajectory, Baby John is poised to become one of Varun Dhawan’s lowest-grossing films. The combination of stiff competition from other releases and poor audience reception has led to significant challenges in recouping its production costs.
Conclusion
As it stands, Baby John is struggling to find its footing in theaters just over a week after its release. With dwindling show counts and lackluster box office performance, the film faces an uphill battle in the coming weeks.Disclaimer: Box office figures are based on estimates and may vary as new data becomes available.
