Expensive South remake costing Rs 180 cr, earned only 20% of budget, but lead actor charged hefty fees, it is

Bollywood has recently been banking on South remakes to revive its box office fortunes, with mixed results. Today, we're focusing on a high-stakes South remake that boasted an impressive budget of Rs 180 crore, grand scale, and massive appeal. Despite featuring an A-list cast, pulsating background score, and adrenaline-fueled action sequences, the film unfortunately tanked at the box office, leaving audiences and producers alike disappointed.

Christmas Day, December 25, marked the festive release of this film, but unfortunately, it failed to draw in the crowds due to stiff competition from Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2. Yes, we are talking about Baby John. The film is a remake of Atlee's blockbuster hit Theri, which originally starred Thalapathy Vijay, Samantha Prabhu, and Amy Jackson. The remake boasts an impressive ensemble cast, including Varun Dhawan, Jackie Shroff, and South actress Keerthy Suresh, who made her Bollywood debut with this film. Wamiqa Gabbi also played a pivotal role in the movie.

Interestingly, the producer of Baby John is Atlee, the same director who delivered Shah Rukh Khan's highest-grossing film to date, facing a huge loss due to Baby John. Helmed by Kalees, the film's massive budget of Rs 1*0 crore has resulted in significant losses, with the movie struggling to cross the Rs 40 crore mark even 12 days post-release. On the first day, the film earned around Rs 11 crore, but the collection dipped with the next consecutive days. In first week, the film minted Rs 36 crore, and in the second, the film hardly earned Rs 2 crore, taking the total to Rs 38 crore in India. 

Baby John’s lead actor Varun Dhawan, who portrayed a dual role, reportedly charged a fee of Rs 25 crore. Keerthy Suresh took home a paycheck of Rs 4 crore, Jackie Shroff Rs 1.5 crore, Wamika Gabbi Rs 40 lakh, and child artist Zara Zaina Rs 20 lakh. Notably, Salman Khan made a cameo appearance without taking a fee.