Baby John Faces Slow Box Office Start: Varun Dhawan's Remake Struggles with Rs 27 Crore Opening Weekend

Varun Dhawan's Baby John had a disappointing run at the box office, collecting just Rs 27 crore in its extended opening weekend. Directed by Kalees, the film opened at Rs 10.75 crore on Christmas Day but failed to sustain momentum over the next four days. The movie, a remake of Tamil film Theri, faced competition from Mufasa: The Lion King in urban areas and Pushpa 2: The Rule in mass circuits.

A significant factor behind the lackluster performance was audience familiarity with Theri, which is easily accessible on platforms like YouTube. The success of Jawan, another Atlee-directed film, further exposed audiences to Atlee's style of filmmaking, making the remake feel redundant. The absence of hit songs also hindered Baby John's appeal, despite the Christmas holiday helping its initial numbers.

Audiences are clearly growing tired of remakes, as the failure of Baby John highlights the demand for original content. While the promotions tried to present the movie as an adaptation, the final version leaned heavily on Theri. This disconnect between marketing and the product contributed to the poor word of mouth. The film’s inability to captivate audiences beyond its opening day underscores the risks of relying on remakes.

The film’s total collection of Rs 27 crore comprises Rs 10.75 crore on its opening day, followed by Rs 4.25 crore on Thursday, Rs 3.25 crore on Friday, Rs 4.25 crore on Saturday, and Rs 4.50 crore on Sunday. The trend reflects a steady decline in audience interest over the extended weekend.

Despite the underwhelming theatrical performance, pre-release deals with digital and satellite platforms brought in over Rs 100 crore, cushioning the losses. However, Baby John's box office fate remains a failure. This emphasizes the need for younger stars to focus on original, mid-budget films to ensure long-term success and keep the industry thriving.