Varun Dhawan’s much-anticipated film Baby John has failed to deliver at the box office, earning just INR 30.5 crore net in India after six days.
Despite an intriguing promotional campaign featuring Dhawan in a mysterious and intense avatar, coupled with Jackie Shroff’s role as the antagonist, the film could not sustain its opening day momentum.
Released on December 25, the film opened decently with INR 11.25 crore but saw a sharp decline of over 50% on its second day, collecting only INR 4.75 crore. The trend continued on day 3 with a further drop to INR 3.65 crore.
Some improvement was observed on days 4 and 5, as collections rose to INR 4.25 crore and INR 4.75 crore, respectively. However, the first Monday marked a steep fall, with earnings of just INR 1.85 crore.
The holiday season and extensive marketing efforts failed to draw audiences in significant numbers. Poor word-of-mouth and mixed reviews seem to have played a crucial role in the underperformance of Baby John.
Meanwhile, Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 continues to dominate the box office, maintaining a steady pace despite entering its fourth week. The Telugu blockbuster added INR 6.65 crore on Monday across all languages, bringing its total collection to a staggering INR 1163.65 crore globally.
The film, a sequel to the 2021 hit Pushpa: The Rise, has captivated audiences with its mass appeal, gripping storyline, and electrifying performances by Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna.
In comparison, Disney’s animated feature Mufasa also outperformed Baby John, ranking second in the box office race on Monday. Despite a 50% drop in collections, the film managed INR 5.4 crore.
As Baby John struggles to find its footing, Pushpa 2 and Mufasa highlight the contrasting fortunes of films at the box office, where strong narratives and audience connection remain key to success.