Atlee on Baby John Releasing amid Pushpa 2 Craze: 'We Know How to Handle This; Not Grabbing Each Other's Theatre'

"I want to work with every superstar and every actor in country," says Atlee Kumar to ETV Bharat ahead of Varun Dhawan's Baby John release.

Mumbai: Baby John which releases in theatres on 25 December marks Varun Dhawan’s return in an action avatar after almost a decade (his 2015 film Badlapur). While the anticipation among fans has been high as it is being produced and presented by Jawan director Atlee Kumar, there is also a slight apprehension as Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2: The Rule is still dominating the theatres with people lapping up the movie, the craze is still not over. And though it’s not a head-on clash as Pushpa sequel was out about four weeks ago yet the trade experts have a bit of doubt about the performance of Baby John. However, the film's producer Atlee sounds very confident about the film.

When asked about Baby John release amid Pushpa 2 mania, Atlee says, “Allu Arjun and I are very good friends. There is an understanding between us and that is why we are coming after Pushpa's completion of four weeks in theatres. We are not coming on the same day, it's not a head-on clash, we are not grabbing each other’s theatre, it is not that ‘I am taking your theatre and you are taking mine...'"

He further says that the Pushpa team knew long back when Baby John is coming to theaters. "We are also aware that Pushpa 2 shifted from August to December and we have planned our release around Christmas. We are good friends, we know how to handle this. I want both the films to do great. Two days back Allu Arjun spoke to both me and Varun and congratulated us,” says Atlee.

After Jawan’s massive success, Atlee says he may not be feeling the pressure but he feels a sense of responsibility and he was more confident about how he could make Indian cinema stand globally. "I am now conscious that these many people are going to watch my next film so I have to deliver. They all loved me, so I have to do more. I enjoy my job, there is no pressure, I enjoy the process of filmmaking. I can produce 10 films, I can write 10 films, I only want to make films,” he says.

Ahead of Salman Khan’s collaboration with Atlee for a potential project, the superstar will also appear in a cameo in Baby John and Atlee calls it a significant role. “Cameos in certain films are made to add advantage to the film but at times even a script demands it and in Baby John cameo (of Salman Khan) is an added advantage as well as script demanding it. We wanted someone on a very big scale, a big star who can be the boss of everyone... Salman is going to be the boss… he has shot a solid mass scene, I don’t want to disclose more than this,” says Atlee, who also confirmed that he will soon announce another big film with Salman Khan. “I will surprise you all,” he said.

Team Baby John at promotional event in Mumbai (Photo: Getty Images)

With Atlee’s growing popularity and demand and his presence strengthening in Bollywood one can’t help but ask him if he has become a brand and he laughs saying, “No, not at all (laughs). I am a simple human trying to communicate something which is working in the system now. I have great respect for the family audience and everyday I'm becoming a responsible and a better person rather than feeling like some brand. I want to work with every superstar and every actor in the country,”

Further, praising the film’s leading hero, Atlee says, “Varun is outstanding. He has pushed hard and given maximum effort to the film.” Adds the film’s director Kalees, “We were surprised with the kind of stunts that Varun has done, he was quick and swift in action sequences, he has a lot of energy.” When asked if the underperformance of some of his films in the recent past could affect Baby John, the director was quick to point out -- “It is only about me trusting Varun and Varun trusting me and that is the only important factor. Success and failures are part of life. I am seeing him as a superstar because I saw his full potential with the way he has acted, danced, and performed action ...he is a complete package, a commercial hero. That space of mass action hero is missing in Bollywood currently and Varun can fill the void. He can be the Allu Arjun of Bollywood ..that space is vacant here.”

Varun Dhawan with Baby John co-star Wamiqa Gabbi and director Kalees (Photo: Getty Images)

Coming back to Baby John that serves as an adaptation of Atlee's 2016 Tamil film Theri [starring Vijay, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Amy Jackson] the filmmaker says that the primary motto of the film is to convey a message to the society. “My expectations, of course, are going to entertain everyone but most importantly I want to drive a point for a better society through the mass medium. Cinema is a strong tool to make society a better place. I have been doing this for the last 11 years, all my films have worked because of the social message. Baby John also is making a very solid statement, it talks about women in our society ..what happened in Delhi [referring to the Nirbhaya case in 2012]. Every hour in the country unprecedented and unacceptable incidents are happening which we have to not just voice but also find solutions so that the next generation doesn’t repeat such heinous crimes. When we decided to do the film there was a reason behind it. The core of the film is women’s safety,” said the filmmaker. “It is not a remake, we have adapted really well based on the current scenario, current incidents, what is happening around us and it will be a fresh watch for the audience,” he further added.

In 2023, Atlee gave the biggest blockbuster and highest grossing film of the year -- Jawan. Does he feel he will repeat the feat at the tail end of 2024? “Inshallah.. let’s see. Our cinema has to grow, our films should work. I wish Mafusa and Vanvaas also work big time. We Indians are very much connected to our movies, we love our films. When we hear that theatres are not doing good business it hurts us as filmmakers. Last year Gadar, Jawan, Pathaan, Animal and this year Stree, Pushpa, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Singham .. and many others performed very well. We hope Baby John will do great to the ecosystem,” signs off Atlee.

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