Atlee Confident About Baby John Success Amid Box-Office Competition With Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2: 'It’s An Ecosystem'

Filmmaker Atlee is preparing for the highly anticipated release of Baby John, an action-packed film starring Varun Dhawan.

Filmmaker Atlee is preparing for the highly anticipated release of Baby John, an action-packed film starring Varun Dhawan. The movie, however, will face strong competition at the box office, as Pushpa 2: The Rule continues its record-breaking global run. Released on December 5, Pushpa 2 has already amassed over ₹1400 crore, cementing its status as a massive blockbuster.

Atlee on box-office clash of Baby John and Pushpa 2

Despite the rivalry, Atlee remains optimistic about the success of Baby John and downplays any notion of a direct “clash” between the two films. Speaking at a recent press meet in Mumbai, he clarified, “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 also revealed a thoughtful gesture from Allu Arjun, who reached out to congratulate him on Baby John and even spoke to Varun Dhawan. “He congratulated me about the film and spoke to Varun. There’s great friendship and love in this ecosystem,” Atlee shared.

Having previously worked with Shah Rukh Khan on Jawan, Atlee expressed his enthusiasm for collaborating with India’s biggest stars. “I want to work with every superstar in India. Big projects don’t pressure me because I love what I do,” he said.

About Baby John

Produced under Atlee and his wife Priya’s banner, A For Apple Studios, along with Murad Khetani’s Cine1 Studio and Jyoti Deshpande’s Jio Studios, Baby John is directed by Kalees. The film stars Varun Dhawan, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Keerthy Suresh, with Salman Khan making a special cameo appearance. Scheduled for a December 25 release, the film aims to captivate audiences during the Christmas season, even as it competes with the ongoing success of Pushpa 2.