Baby John” is a 2024 Hindi-language action thriller directed by Kalees, serving as a remake of Atlee’s 2016 Tamil film “Theri.” The film stars Varun Dhawan in the titular role, alongside Keerthy Suresh (marking her Hindi film debut), Wamiqa Gabbi, Zara Zyanna, and Jackie Shroff.
Synopsis
The drama revolves around DCP Satya Verma Varun Dhawan, who alters his identity and goes into hiding in Alappuzha, Kerala, with his young daughter Khushi (Zara Zyanna), seeking refuge from an eminent politician Babbar Sher Jackie Shroff. Assuming the alias John D’Silva, he relocates to Alappuzha, Kerala, where he runs a bakery and leads a peaceful life. As old enemies reappear, Satya is left with no choice but to revisit his past in order to protect his child’s future. (223 words number of characters with spaces 2307),
Cast & Crew
- Varun Dhawan as DCP Satya Verma / John D’Silva
- Keerthy Suresh as Tara, Khushi’s teacher and Satya’s confidante
- Wamiqa Gabbi as Dr. Meera, Satya’s late wife
- Jackie Shroff as Babbar Sher, the antagonist
- Zara Zyanna as Khushi, Satya’s daughter
- Sanya Malhotra in a special appearance
IMDb Ratings
As of now, “Baby John” holds an IMDb rating of 7.0/10, based on approximately 13,000 user reviews.
Critical Reception
This movie has garnered disparate criticism from the rating agencies. While Dhawan’s performance received accolades, there are those who think of the movie as banal; The Indian Express said, ‘the movie is overstuffed and has no clear direction’ adding that the movie is among the worst in 2024.
Box Office Performance
A gross of around ₹53.4 crore globally earned in just five days is well below expected figures, and considering how “Baby John” was marketed, it’s safe to assume the film has flopped at the box office.
Soundtrack
The music for the film, consisting of tracks such as “Nain Matakka,” “Pikley Pom,” “Bandobast,” “Hazaar Baar,” and “Beast Mode.” and worked on by Thaman S, has been received positively.
Cultural Significance
“Baby John” represents the latest in a line of South Indian movies that have been successfully remade for Hindi films owing to its exceptional popularity. This film further marks Keerthy Suresh’s foray into Hindi cinema thereby broadening her audience.
Personal Insights
Although “Baby John” showcases scintillating fight scenes and poignant father daughter moments, it does falter in some areas of storytelling and pacing. Varun Dhawan gave a good performance highlighting his range as an actor, but the movies reception can likely be contributed to its lack of originality from the remake “Theri”.
All in all, “Baby John” tries to seamlessly integrate action, drama and family but ends up with a bland story which renders the movie being worthy of a single viewing for people who enjoy action.
