Baby John Box Office Collection Day 1: Varun Dhawan's Actioner Opens Better Than Bhediya, Earns Rs 12.5 Cr in India

Varun Dhawan's latest release Baby John did not quite reach the anticipated Rs 13-15 crore range. The film, however, opens better than Bhediya in India.

Hyderabad: After a two-year hiatus, Varun Dhawan makes his grand return to cinemas with Baby John, an action-packed drama that has set the stage for his big-screen comeback. The actor, whose last big screen outing was Bhediya, is back with a high-octane actioner alongside Keerthy Suresh and Wamiqa Gabbi. The buzz surrounding Baby John was immense, but how did it perform on opening day? Let's dive into the numbers and what this means for Varun's career.

• Baby John Box Office Collection Day 1

This Christmas brought a mixed bag for Bollywood, with Baby John recording an estimated opening day collection of Rs 12.5 crore at the Indian box office. While the film had high expectations, it did not quite reach the anticipated Rs 13-15 crore range. Baby john's first-day performance was slightly below expectations, possibly affected by mixed reviews from audiences and critics alike.

Despite this, Baby John still surpassed the opening numbers of Bhediya (Rs 7.48 crore) and Jugjugg Jeeyo (Rs 9.28 crore), marking Varun's best opening in recent times. However, it couldn't compete with the massive success of Kalank, his biggest opener, which raked in Rs 21.6 crore on its opening day. Notably, Kalank which was a multi-starrer also remains one of Varun's biggest flops as well with lifetime earnings of Rs 80 crore, despite its grand opening.

• Have a look at some of Varun's best opening day numbers:
• Baby John: Rs 12.5 crore
• Bhediya: Rs 7.48 crore
• Jugjugg Jeeyo: Rs 9.28 crore
• Street Dancer 3D: Rs 10.26 crore
• Kalank: Rs 21.6 crore
• Holiday Competition

While Baby John didn't break records, it still performed solidly, especially considering the holiday competition. Despite the Christmas holiday advantage, Baby John faced stiff competition from several big releases, including Pushpa 2: The Rule, which continued to dominate the box office with a solid Rs 19.75 crore on its 21st day. On top of this, Mufasa and the Kannada releases UI, Max and Tamil latest release Viduthalai 2 also impacted Baby John's earnings. Max proved to be a surprise hit, breaking records for a Kannada film with a Rs 10 crore opening.

• Thalapathy's Best Wishes For Team Baby John

Atlee and Varun Dhawan's Baby John is a remake of the Tamil film Theri, originally headlined by Thalapathy Vijay. The 2016 Tamil hit was directed by Atlee, and now he is presenting Baby John, which is being directed by Kalees. The film has been receiving a lot of love and attention, and one of the latest stars to join the fanfare is none other than Theri star Vijay. On Christmas Eve, Vijay took to his social media to send his warm wishes to the team.

Thank you thalapathy Vijay sir 🙏. We will always remain babies near you ❤️#babyjohn https://t.co/IJhbHl4N1S

— VarunDhawan (@Varun_dvn) December 24, 2024

Varun Dhawan and Keerthy Suresh, the leads of Baby John, quickly responded to Vijay's love. Varun, who is leading the film, expressed his gratitude on X, writing, "Thank you Thalapathy Vijay sir 🙏. We will always remain babies near you ❤️ #babyjohn." Meanwhile, Keerthy also shared her heartfelt thanks, writing, "Sirrrr!! Coming from you means a lot!! Thank you so much for your wishes! ☺️🙏🏼"

• About Baby John

Directed by Kalees, Baby John is the Hindi adaptation of the Tamil blockbuster Theri, starring Vijay. The film's action-packed sequences, along with the performances of Varun Dhawan, Keerthy Suresh, and Wamiqa Gabbi, were expected to draw in large crowds. The film has been co-produced by Atlee and Priya Atlee, who have also had successful ventures in the Tamil film industry.

While Baby John may not have set the box office on fire on its opening day, it has shown potential for steady growth. The performance of the coming days will be crucial in determining whether it can match or even surpass the expectations that surrounded its release.

(Box office data source: Sacnilk)

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