Kalees’ mass entertainer Baby John was an ambitious project for its lead star, Varun Dhawan. The actor wanted the film to be his entry in the mass action genre, elevating himself to a potential A-lister in Bollywood. If the last few years have shown something, it’s that everyone wants the mass action treatment. Everyone has got it, from Shah Rukh Khan to Manoj Bajpayee. But Baby John did not work at all. It failed to appease the critics and did not connect with the fans. The end result was a mess that fell flat at the box office. (Also read: Baby John box office collection day 8: Varun Dhawan film shows no growth, finally crosses ₹35 cr)

Baby John, the box office disaster

A remake (sorry, adaptation as the makers insist) of Atlee’s Theri, Baby John is in parts a scene-for-scene copy of the original. In other parts, it tries to do something new, and you wish it hadn’t. The marketing and promotions of the film were also subdued, failing to create the much-needed buzz. That resulted in an underwhelming opening of just ₹12 crore, far too low for a mass entertainer. Bad reviews led to a negative word of mouth, and the film has been in free fall since. By its eighth day, Baby John has earned just ₹35 crore in India and ₹47 crore worldwide. Given that the film has been mounted on a reported ₹160 crore budget, those are abysmal returns. Just how bad the downslide for Baby John is can be gauged by the fact that the film opened in 4300 shows nationwide, which have reduced to just 1800 after eight days.

Trade insiders estimate the film to close below ₹60 crore net, meaning the makers face notional losses of ₹100 crore. While a final verdict on its box office performance is awaited, many trade pundits are already calling it a disaster.

Why did Baby John tank?

On the surface, Baby John had everything in its favour – the massy genre, a popular star, Atlee backing it, and a solid plot (evident from Theri’s success). But the formula was all theory. In practicality, Baby John has nothing going for it. It looks more like a spoof than a remake, with Varun lacking the screen presence to carry mass action. He is a good presence as the likeable or even goofy hero. But in mass action, he was found lacking. The stale treatment of the plot didn’t help. Kalees lacks Atlee’s finesse in packaging the old and presenting it as fresh. And the Salman Khan cameo was more groan-inducing than awe-inspiring.

Audiences have expressed their willingness to see more massy films that fit in a formula, but only if the presentation is neat. Jawan, Pathaan, and Gadar 2 showed that. On the other hand, Tiger 3 and Bhaiyaa Ji fell short. Baby John fell the hardest. Maybe its failure will cause Bollywood makers to pause and ponder and realise that merely formula will not help a film soar if everything else is hollow.