New Delhi, India
In Varun Dhawan's film Baby John, Rajpal Yadav is the winner with his dialogue - ''comedy is a serious business.''
Dhawan’s Christmas release is here. It's the last film of the year, wrapping up 2024 with action, drama and romance, but unfortunately, this is a genre that I saw on a repeat this year at the movies. Never mind! The actioner arrives 20 days after the release of Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2: The Rule, whose fever has not yet faded away. While both films are quite different, they land on the same page somewhere. So, it is what it is.
Coming from the house of Atlee and directed by Kalees, Baby John is an adaptation of the 2016 Tamil blockbuster Theri starring superstar Vijay.
In Indian cinema, playing a police officer is often seen as a dream of male actors. However, not every role suits everyone, and that's what I felt while watching Dhawan in and as Baby John.
Baby John - the plot
Wasting no time, the plot introduces us to John (Dhawan) and his sweet life with his daughter Khushi (Zara Zyanna) in a small town in south India. While we enjoy their sweet and carefree life, soon the reason behind their shift to the town is revealed and the man who is pretending to be John is actually Satya Verma, a determined police officer, who in the world's eyes is dead. How? To know this, watch the movie.
The story goes six years back, introducing Satya as a young and charming police officer, who is dedicated to his job and apart from this, he's a loving son, who has found his love in Meera (Keerthy Suresh).
How he ends up setting a rivalry with the known figure of Mumbai and gangster, Nana (Jackie Shroff) makes the rest of the story.
Baby John: A full-on masala story with old fun
While adapted from Vijay's Theri, the movie felt like a redo of so many other films, especially Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan.
The similarities were striking, from the set to the dance sequences and screenplay.
Nevertheless, the film begins on an adorable note, showcasing dhoti-clad John living in a picturesque south Indian city with his daughter. However, this pleasant start gave way to chaotic, mind-numbing actions and exhausting things that the nearly three-hour film was filled with.
Like Jawan, the movie tackles women's safety issues, crimes against young girls, corruption, and social issues. But, all of this doesn't settle well with the presentation of the movie.
The movie's soul is the story of a father who can go to any lengths to protect his child. The movie starts with John and Khushi and every moment of them strikes the right chord. But, the unnecessary additions in a bid to make the movie a mass entertainer kind of ruin so many good things and take the calmness that was created at the start of the film.
One scene that felt particularly out of place occurs when Satya tells villain Nana that he had murdered his son. The dramatisation of this scene, coupled with Varun's acting and Jackie's performance, looked so juvenile.
The first half gets smoothly over but the second half is a struggle, as there are so many things going on rapidly.
With so many incoherent things, the movie has been watchable for its impressive action sequences, camera work and background score.
And it's understandable that when the movie is coming from Atlee's world, you will not have to complain about these things at least!
At times, it even feels like Baby John is only made to establish Varun's image as an action hero.
The film's final hour felt rushed, making it a task to understand the plot. The lacklustre additions and overall pacing with over-the-top action sequences may make it a good viewing experience, but it will surely bore you out at some point.
I have loved Dhawan in comic roles and even in this movie he delivers his best performance, which was expected from him. Some of his scenes are genuinely hilarious. However, for the most part, the main focus was on his action sequences and dialogue, which don't quite suit him.
Unfortunately, the ladies of the movie - Wamika Gabbi and Keerthy Suresh - didn't have any impact on the plot. While Suresh did well as the lead hero's pretty girl, Wamiqa's role, initially as Khushi's teacher and later as a police officer, was an addition that was not needed.
On the other hand, Jackie Shroff's portrayal of the villainous Nana is noteworthy. His menacing presence ably manages to elevate the feel of some mediocre scenes.
Rajpal Yadav is another actor who managed to leave a lasting impact merely with his presence. As always, he delivered his performance with earnest honesty and perfection. As I have mentioned earlier, his line, "comedy is serious business" is the starline of the whole film.
Zara Zyanna as Khushi is most adorable; her dialogue delivery and performance are praiseworthy.
As a Christmas treat, Salman Khan makes a special appearance in the post-credit scene of the movie, and his action sequence with Varun is truly the most entertaining and whistle-worthy moment. If you're a fan of Khan, like me, you will enjoy his cameo.
In a nutshell - Baby John is yet another sloppy mass-actioner of the year that was not needed much.
If you have already watched Pushpa 2 and are looking for something to do during the holiday week, then go ahead.
Enjoy Varun's comic scenes with action but without using your brain.