Baby John, starring Varun Dhawan in the lead role, has encountered a rocky start at the box office, failing to make the expected impact despite its Christmas release. The film, which was expected to be a big-ticket action thriller, has yet to cross the Rs 50 crore mark after six days in theaters, and its performance has been notably underwhelming. A significant contributing factor to this poor performance is the overwhelming box office dominance of Pushpa 2, which continues to outperform Baby John despite being in theaters for far longer.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the film experienced a sharp dip in its Monday earnings, with collections dropping dramatically from Rs 4.75 crore on Sunday to just Rs 1.85 crore on Monday. The stark contrast highlights the film's struggle to maintain momentum after its opening weekend. The film's overall Hindi occupancy has been fairly low, standing at just 10.77 percent, with most of the footfall coming during the night shows. This suggests that, while the film has not completely failed to attract an audience, it has not been able to sustain widespread interest or generate the kind of word-of-mouth that could have pushed it towards stronger box office earnings.
As of now, Baby John’s total domestic earnings stand at Rs 30.50 crore, with a global collection of Rs 43 crore. This is significantly lower than what was anticipated for a film of its scale, especially considering its reported production budget of Rs 160 crore. Trade experts have expressed concern, predicting that Baby John may struggle to even reach Rs 60 crore in its entire run, which would be considered a major disappointment given the high expectations surrounding the project.
One of the key challenges Baby John faces is the immense popularity of Pushpa 2. The film, which stars Allu Arjun, has been a massive success at the box office, grossing over Rs 1,760 crore worldwide and outperforming Baby John by a wide margin. On its fourth Monday, Pushpa 2 managed to earn Rs 6.65 crore, while Baby John’s earnings were significantly lower. This demonstrates not only Pushpa 2's enduring appeal but also the fierce competition Baby John faces at the box office.
Despite the setbacks, the makers of Baby John are holding out hope that the film could experience a resurgence as the New Year approaches. The upcoming days are critical, and the film has a small window of opportunity to regain some lost momentum. There are no major Hindi releases scheduled for the week ahead, so Baby John could potentially benefit from the lack of competition. However, it will need a substantial turnaround in audience interest and box office collections to avoid being labeled a "flop." With no major star power or buzz around the film at this point, it seems unlikely that Baby John will manage to change its fortunes overnight.
In conclusion, Baby John’s performance so far has been far from satisfactory, and it faces a tough battle in the coming days. The film's decline in earnings and its failure to sustain strong momentum in its opening week are concerning signs. While there is still a chance for the film to recover, especially with no immediate competition, it will require a significant shift in audience engagement to avoid a negative reception from both the industry and viewers.
