Actress Wamiqa Gabbi has candidly addressed the disappointing performance of her recent film Baby John, which also starred Varun Dhawan and Keerthy Suresh, admitting that its status as a remake of the 2016 Tamil hit Theri may have hindered its resonance with audiences. In an interview ahead of her upcoming film Bhool Chuk Maaf, Gabbi opened up about the reception to the action thriller. The film, directed by Kalees and produced by Atlee, struggled both critically and commercially.
Wamiqa Gabbi ADMITS remake status hurt Baby John’s appeal: “A lot of people did not resonate with it”
Baby John, released on December 25, 2024, was heavily promoted as a Pan-India entertainer, boasting a stellar cast including Varun Dhawan, Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi, Jackie Shroff, and a cameo by Salman Khan. A Hindi adaptation of Atlee’s Theri, which starred Thalapathy Vijay, the film followed DCP Satya Verma (Dhawan), a cop balancing his alpha persona with fatherhood, only to confront his past to protect his daughter.
Speaking to The Times of India, Gabbi reflected on the film’s underperformance with grace. “A lot of people liked it, and a lot of people did not resonate with it also,” she said, acknowledging the polarized response. “I also think it was a remake, and people had already watched the original.” She noted that while Baby John was not a frame-for-frame remake, the familiarity of Theri—widely available in dubbed versions—posed challenges. “Sometimes you don’t know, right?” she added, accepting the unpredictable nature of audience reception.
Earlier, Rajpal Yadav, in an interview with Bollywood Bubble, suggested that Baby John might have fared better if it weren’t a remake, noting that Theri’s accessibility hurt its novelty. “Varun is such a sweet boy, very hardworking,” he said, defending Dhawan’s effort to experiment, likening it to Shah Rukh Khan’s bold choices in films like Paheli.
Coming back to Wamiqa, as mentioned above, she is busy promoting Bhool Chuk Maaf. Scheduled to release on May 9, the film also stars Rajkummar Rao in the lead, along with Seema Pahwa and Raghubir Yadav, among others.
Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Rajkummar Rao-Wamiqa Gabbi starrer Bhool Chuk Maaf passed by CBFC with ZERO cuts
More Pages: Baby John Box Office Collection , Baby John Movie Review
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