Mumbai: Atlee Kumar and Varun Dhawan’s mass-actioner Baby John, set to release around Christmas, is one of the most anticipated films of the year. However, the movie’s release comes close to Allu Arjun’s record-breaking blockbuster Pushpa 2: The Rule, which continues to dominate the box office with over ₹600 crore nett in India in just two weeks.
Addressing concerns about the box office clash, Atlee clarified the situation at a press conference in Mumbai. “It’s an ecosystem. Me and Allu Arjun sir are very good friends. We’re releasing Baby John in the fourth week of December, not head-to-head. So don’t call it a clash. There’s no conflict here. We’re aware that Pushpa 2 shifted from August to December, and we’ve planned our release around Christmas. We’re all professionals, and we know how to handle this.”
Atlee further revealed that Allu Arjun had reached out to him and Varun Dhawan to congratulate them on Baby John’s trailer. “He congratulated me on the film and spoke to Varun. There’s great friendship and love in this ecosystem,” he added.
For the uninitiated, Pushpa 2: The Rule has been shattering box office records across India and abroad, especially in the Hindi belt. Despite this, Atlee remains optimistic about Baby John‘s performance. “Both films cater to different audiences, and the holiday season is ideal for diverse cinematic experiences. There’s room for both films to succeed,” he said.
Baby John, an adaptation of Atlee’s Tamil hit Theri, also marks Keerthy Suresh’s Bollywood debut and stars Varun Dhawan in a high-octane role.