Thu Dec 26 08:31:28 UTC 2024: ## Varun Dhawan’s ‘Baby John’ Underwhelms on Opening Day
**Mumbai, India** – Varun Dhawan’s much-anticipated action film, “Baby John,” opened to a disappointing Rs 12.5 crore at the box office on Christmas Day, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. This underwhelming performance falls short of expectations for a holiday release and pales in comparison to other recent releases.
The film, Dhawan’s first foray into a “mass” action genre, achieved only 24.97 percent Hindi occupancy on its opening day. While showing in 1046 screens in Delhi-NCR (25.75% occupancy) and 801 in Mumbai (26.25% occupancy), it failed to compete with the ongoing success of “Pushpa 2: The Rule,” which earned Rs 19.75 crore on its 21st day, and “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which raked in Rs 14.25 crore on its sixth day.
This marks a relatively weak start for Dhawan, whose previous films have had similar opening day figures. While “Bhediya” (Rs 7.48 crore) and “Jugjugg Jeeyo” (Rs 9.28 crore) had modest openings, his biggest opener, “Kalank,” ultimately proved a box office disappointment. Despite extensive marketing promoting “Baby John” as a pan-Indian entertainer, the promotional efforts haven’t translated into substantial box office success.
The film, directed by Kalees and produced by Atlee, also stars Keerthy Suresh, Jackie Shroff, and Wamiqa Gabbi. Whether “Baby John” can survive the holiday season against stronger competition remains to be seen.
First Piper 