Varun Dhawan’s action thriller Baby John, directed by Kalees and produced by Atlee, is set to release this Christmas.
Despite high expectations, the film’s advance bookings have been underwhelming, with only 50,000 tickets sold and Rs 2 crore earned by the eve of its release.
With 6,489 shows scheduled across India, opening-day collections stand at just Rs 1.46 crore, a disappointing figure for a big-budget film.
The movie faces stiff competition from Sukumar’s Pushpa 2: The Rule, which has dominated the box office, earning over Rs 1,560 crore in 19 days.
Varun Dhawan also has much at stake, as his recent projects, including Bhediya and Bawaal, underperformed. His last box office hit was Jugjugg Jeeyo in 2022.
Baby John also stars Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Jackie Shroff and is produced by Murad Khetani, Priya Atlee, and Jio Studios.
The film follows Atlee’s previous blockbuster success with Jawan.