Varun Dhawan’s much-anticipated action film Baby John has quickly turned into one of the biggest box office disappointments of 2024. With a budget of Rs.160 crore, the film has earned a mere Rs.47 crore globally, barely crossing Rs.35 crore in India after its first week in theatres. This underwhelming performance has cemented Baby John as a commercial failure, despite its promising premise and star power.
The film, which was intended to be Varun Dhawan’s foray into the mass action genre, attempted to recreate the success of Atlee’s Theri. While some scenes are nearly identical to the original, others fail to impress with misguided attempts at innovation. The film’s marketing efforts were weak, failing to generate the necessary excitement among audiences, resulting in a poor opening of just Rs.12 crore—a dismal number for a film of its scale.
Critics and audiences alike have been harsh on the film, with negative reviews contributing to a sharp decline in box office numbers. By its eighth day, Baby John had already lost significant ground, with screenings across the country dropping from 4,300 to just 1,800. Industry insiders predict the film will struggle to cross Rs.60 crore in total collections, leaving the producers with a loss of around Rs.100 crore.
Despite having all the ingredients for success—a popular actor, a hit formula, and a solid premise—Baby John faltered due to poor execution. Varun Dhawan, while likable, did not possess the necessary screen presence for a mass action role. The film also suffered from stale storytelling and lackluster direction, with the much-hyped Salman Khan cameo falling flat.
While the audience continues to crave more mass action films, Baby John proves that simply following a formula is not enough. Films like Jawan, Pathaan, and Gadar 2 showed that it’s the execution that makes the difference. Baby John will go down as one of 2024’s most significant box office disasters.
