The much-awaited baby action thriller Baby John, a Varun Dhawan starring film, was released to the cinema on December 25, 2024; the adrenaline pumping cinematic experience it promised was to keep audiences hooked to their seats. Director Kalees’ film made it a box-office hit with a collection of Rs 11.25 cr on the first day. And it dropped to about 3.9 cr on the next day, bringing mixed reactions from fans and critics alike.
Against the backdrop of intense action and family drama, Baby John stars Varun Dhawan as DCP Satya Verma, a fearless cop who takes drastic measures to protect his daughter from the wrath of a vengeful gangster. After a violent confrontation with the ruthless Babbar Sher, played by Jackie Shroff, Satya fakes his own death to safeguard his family. However, when Satya kills Babbar’s son, the gangster vows revenge, and this sets off a dangerous cat-and-mouse chase. In order to escape the threat, Satya adopts the identity of “Baby John” and relocates to Kerala, hoping to live a peaceful life. However, when Babbar discovers that Satya is still alive, the danger increases, and Satya has to confront his past in order to protect his daughter.
The main aspect in which Baby John is successful is through the performance by Jackie Shroff as the menacing antagonist Babbar Sher. His first look with half-tied grey hair, vintage rings, and rugged face with cuts and bruises aptly depicts the menacing personality of the character. His presence on screen is so intimidating that fans are going on to praise his cold and ruthless gangster portrayal.
Along with Dhawan and Shroff, this film also stars Keerthy Suresh and Kajal Aggarwal in important roles to enrich the emotional depth of the story. Keerthy plays Satya’s wife caught up in the crossfire of the dangerous world he is in, while Kajal plays a pivotal part in the protagonist’s journey as an ally.
While the movie gives a good amount of action, Baby John also deals with themes of family, sacrifice, and redemption. The narrative, although interesting, lacks in its pace, especially in the second half, where the story’s intensity drops. However, Varun Dhawan’s intense performance as the conflicted DCP Satya does shine through, which gives the emotional core to the film.
On the work front, Jackie Shroff continues to make waves in Bollywood. He is set to appear in two major upcoming projects. First, the action drama Baap, directed by Vivek Chauhan, and later in the ensemble comedy Housefull 5, directed by Tarun Mansukhani. The latter features a star-studded cast, including Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, and Abhishek Bachchan, and is set to hit cinemas on June 6, 2025.
All in all, Baby John is such an action-packed high-wire narrative where performances by some leading actors come off beautifully and particularly with Jackie Shroff. A good engaging premise along with dramatic turns may put this through to watch especially among the genre’s action-thriller freaks.